Thailand to help tourism with tax cuts and loans
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Topics: THAILAND TOURISM TAX CUT LOANS
The package will include steps to help businesses to prevent layoffs and to promote domestic travel, Somkid told reporters.
The government expects the number of foreign visitors to fall 5 million this year to about 35 million owing to the outbreak. Spending foreign tourists accounted for no less than 11% of Thailand's GDP last year.
"The government is very worried about job cuts," Somkid said. "We will help ease the situation and will do it quickly".
China, the centre of the virus outbreak, accounted for 28% of Thailand's tourists and tourism revenue last year.
This year, the government expects the number of tourists from China alone to fall 2 million. ■