Bangkok to boost tourism

BANGKOK, July 7 (TNA) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is boosting local tourism to reclaim its top tourist destination title for travelers from Japan's Kyoto City. Deputy Bangkok Governor Amorn Kitchawengkul told journalists of the move on Monday, after Bangkok lost its top tourist destination championship to Kyoto and fell to the third position in a latest survey by the Travel + Leisure Magazine this year due to impacts from past domestic political demonstrations. Amorn revealed that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will discuss efforts to restore confidence among international tourists with operators of five-star hotels where their clients have dropped by half. Amorn said the BMA will also join forces with concerned public and private agencies to restore confidence, while also explaining the updated situation to participants in international conferences in Bangkok, including those in the International Publishers Association Congress, set to be held in September 2014, after postponing from last year due to the domestic political protests, and in the 3rd Lower Mekong Tourism City Mayors’ Summit, set to be held in November 2014, and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in February 2015. Besides, the BMA will organize activities to promote local tourism, especially those annual activities in the winter, including music-in-the-park and fashion street events and food festivals, as Thai food is globally well-known. (TNA)