|
|
Candlelit rites on tsunami anniversary A campaign to give Andaman Sea resorts a mega-event to commemorate the tsunami tragedy anniversary December 26 is losing steam due to opposition from local community leaders and hoteliers based in Phuket. Driven mainly by expatriate travel executives and consultants, there was talk of inviting opera singer Pavarotti or Elton John to sing at a world-class concert on Patong Beach. Now it appears local sentiment has won the day after community leaders and hoteliers in Phuket said it was not appropriate to capitalise on the tragedy with a major promotional event on December 26.Instead, community leaders will organise a 100,000 candlelit ceremony on Patong as the sun sets on December 26. No bands, no celebrities, in attendance. Just residents and visitors, travelling to Phuket to remember lost relatives, will be invited to light candles on the beach. A similar ceremony was held to mark 100 days after the tragedy and community leaders say it will now become an annual memorial event irrespective of what the Tourism Authority of Thailand plans. Proponents of the mega-event proposal claim CNN and BBC reporters and cameramen will descend on Phuket to help us all relive the tragedy. They argued that if Elton John were there to greet them even if it cost Bt80 million to get him there, the cameras would shift from reruns of the wave to sentimental songs. Thai travel executives apparently are not buying that concept, believing Thai culture would dictate that a more solemn low-key ceremony would be more appropriate. There is still plenty of support for the mega-event with the public relations gurus in town pointing out the pitfalls of the "low-profile" ceremony. What was apparently lost in the well-meaning proposals was the essential condition that whatever happens on December 26 it has to be driven by the local communities along the Andaman coast, not "travel leaders in Bangkok". In the midst of the all the proposals presented to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and even the minister of tourism and sports, a consensus emerged driven mainly by hoteliers and travel agents. They suggested a series of promotions geared to reviving tourism starting with an "enhanced" vegetarian festival in October. Largely ignored by tourists, the annual festival is a highlight of the Phuket calendar. Travel agents suggested that it could be expanded to appeal to the international market. November marks the start of the peak season, although it might be a far cry from the hustle and bustle of last year, the travel industry recommends that an "Open Season" festival during the first week of the month could become an annual festival to kick off the peak season that will close the following March. The annual King's Cup Regatta held December 4-6 to honour HM the King's birthday on December 5 was also identified as an event that could be supported to deliver a positive message to travellers worldwide. It would require a budget for public relations and advertising to position it as a world-class yachting event. On December 26, local communities will meet for a candlelit ceremony on Patong and possibly similar solemn ceremonies will be organised at Phi Phi, Khao Lak and Krabi. Finally on January 1 there would be an opportunity for the mega-event proponents to put on their think caps and bring in stars and performers for a festival that would celebrate life and the future prosperity of the Andaman resorts. In theory, tourism leaders say a series of events would send a stronger message that the region has made a full recovery, but it will still require a budget of possibly Bt250 million to make an impact. Considering most travel executives agree that the discounted pricing failed to draw travellers back to Phuket, the consensus is shifting now to a long-term strategy to enhance southern events and festivals. Backing these promotional events, travel industry leaders have pointed out that infrastructure projects led by the Tourism Authority of Thailand at Patong Bay and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports at Kamala Bay must be completed. Very little progress has been made so far. Also they point out that of the 26 watchtowers that should have been built by now only six are in place. There has been a call for promotional events to revive business but an equally strong voice for the government to come good on its promises and complete infrastructure projects before the peak season begins. On one side of Hong Kong the final pieces of the multi-million-dollar Disneyland are slotting into place a project that is destined to draw millions of theme park tourists from around Asia. In sharp contrast to the Disneyland glitz, local Hong Kong newspapers reported recently that a group of Hong Kong residents escaped the city state's high powered lifestyle by heading for the clusters of small islands where they shed their clothes and stress for a weekend contemplating their navels. Interesting pastime, but I have not seen it listed in the family entertainment section of the Hong Kong Tourism Board's travel catalogues. Considering how tourist boards love to create niche markets you would have thought by now an enterprising Hong Kong travel agency would have added an "all-over suntan" to it to the health tourism list alongside, spa and meditation packages. Of course, they would have to convince the Hong Kong-based Body Arts Association to open up their pastime to overseas tourists. Not an easy task by any means, when the objective of going to the islands in the first place is to escape 15 million tourists who descend on Hong Kong annually. As there are an estimated six million dedicated nudists in Europe alone, with some of them venturing on "naked" motorcycle tours (midnight to 3am trips in the Black Forest) a few of them might venture to Hong Kong for shopping and then strip down on a deserted outlaying island on the east coast of Hong Kong's rural New Territories. A spokesman for Body Arts Association told a local newspaper: "We have looked into the experience of nudist camps in Europe. They have all helped to stimulate local economies and tourism "To give it even the slightest chance of survival it would probably have to be billed the last resort for travellers who have clocked up 50 trips to Hong Kong and spent a fortune." Your holiday funds dissipated at Disneyland and the gambling tables of Macau, so all that is left are the clothes on your back to shed in the cause of body art. Bangkok Post July 2005 www.bangkokpost.com |