What’s the best way to draw tourists to a city distressed by fear of a coronavirus “super-spreader?” Offer a big cash prize to anyone who gets infected!
Chiang Mai’s private sector has put THB100,000 on the table for any tourist who gets infected with COVID-19 while visiting the “Rose of the North,” local tourism council president Punlop Saejew announced today.
What good will that do if you die? Not to worry! Your loved ones will get THB1 million if it turns into a one-way trip, Punlop added.
Conditions do apply. Punlop said the tourist-victim must have followed every public health measure such as wearing face masks in public places and checking in via the Thai Chana government tracking application.
Punlop said the just-launched initiative will “boost confidence” in tourists coming to or already in the popular northern province, especially with the long holidays and cool season just around the corner.
“Tourism is a key sector that brings in a lot of income to Chiang Mai, and we have brainstormed how we can fight through this crisis,” Punlop said. “That’s why we came up with this measure to boost confidence among tourists … so they can travel and enjoy with confidence.”
The pandemic payoff is a joint plan devised by nine tourism agencies and related business associations.
It comes after three women sneaked across the border from Myanmar with raging COVID-19 infections. Their travels and visits to popular Chiang Mai attractions sparked fear of a new outbreak and schools to close.
