More community tourism sites developed in Thailand

BANGKOK, December 14 (TNA) - The Thai government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, plans to promote and develop community tourism sites nationwide to attract more international tourists. Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak briefed the policy to executives of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports while visiting the ministry in Bangkok on Thursday and met with representatives of the private tourism sector, including those from hotels, tour agents and airlines. The deputy premier assigned that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports first develops potential but long-excluded community tourism places through collaboration from all relevant local parties for the sake of sustainable development of the targeted sites. According to the deputy premier, the policy on turning the potential community tourism sites into more focal attractions of international tourists will also help distribute income to more local communities and villagers nationwide. Besides, the policy, if successfully-implemented, will create more land, marine and air transport networks connecting the newly-targeted tourism sites with existing ones comprehensively. Meanwhile, new Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat told journalists that his ministry will immediately implement the policy as assigned and will stimulate the local community tourism sites through tax incentives, with the planned measures set to be submitted for the Cabinet's further consideration and a resolution over the next few weeks. (TNA)