Covid cases unlikely to hurt tourism in North

Hotel operators in Chiang Mai are monitoring the market closely after new coronavirus cases reemerged in northern provinces recently.

A Thai woman was reportedly infected and crossed the border from Myanmar, going to Chiang Mai last week, while two more linked cases were found in Chiang Rai on Monday. Some guests who already booked hotel rooms in the province expressed concern while asking for additional information, said La-Iad Bungsrithong, president of the Thai Hotels Association’s northern chapter.

However, only 1-2% of travellers decided to postpone or cancel their trips so far, she said. The most sensitive groups are corporate clients.

At present, the impact is minimal because it is high season for tourists, meaning people planned their trips in advance, she said.

The average occupancy started to pick up gradually in November as the provincial rate hit 70%,…