Covid a chance to realign tourism industry

Tourism is probably the industry hit hardest by the pandemic, which is bad news for countries like Thailand. Prior to the outbreak, the tourism industry accounted for as much as one-fifth of the economy, but it has since dropped precipitously.

Despite the gloom, this provides us with a rare opportunity to realign the sector to make it stronger, more sustainable and more resilient when things get back on track.

First, we must consider one of the biggest downsides to Thailand’s normally-booming tourist crowds — overtourism. The obvious candidates — Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Samui, Phangnga, Pattaya — usually boast big crowds and low…