Songkhla gearing up for tourist boom after Ramadan

Despite a series of recent car bombs and insurgent attacks in the South, Songkhla province is gearing up for a Muslim tourist boom at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Songkhla Hotel Business Association President Somchart Pimthanapoonporn said he expects the number of Muslim tourist arrivals to keep rising until the end of this month. The province’s Hat Yai district attracts Muslim visitors, particularly from Malaysia and Indonesia, at the end of Ramadan. The projected boom in Muslim travel is forecast to generate a total revenue of 50-60 million baht for local businesses. Mr Somchart disclosed that the car bombing at Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel earlier this year, coupled with the Ramadan festival, had significantly affected the tourism industry in Songkhla. However, spending by Muslim tourists is now growing at a faster rate and the upward trend is expected to continue into the Vegan Festival scheduled in October. From thainews