The impact of the quake is to be limited and short-term, Minister of Tourism and Sports Sorawong Thienthong told reporters on Monday, adding more than 1,000 hotel room bookings had been canceled since the quake centered in Myanmar hit Bangkok on Friday.

The ministry plans to revise its strategy for the second half of this year to address the sluggish Chinese market and weak confidence following the earthquake.

Thienthong said that a tourism risk and crisis management team will be established to support the industry, with representatives from organizations in the tourism supply chain, such as the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Roads Authority.

He said that based on initial feedback from the private sector, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to collaborate with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to issue certificates for hotels that have passed a safety examination following the earthquake.

The ministry will focus on communicating a single message, ensuring that Thailand is safe for travel, he noted.

Sorawong added that the Chinese market is the most sensitive to news concerning the earthquake, and the ministry plans to discuss the matter with the Chinese ambassador, seeking to restore confidence.

Given the upcoming Songkran celebrations, all activities are expected to go ahead as planned. The ministry has asked the Tourist Police to coordinate with provincial police to ensure tourism safety in major areas.

Sorawong showed his belief that the sluggish period for bookings would not last for a long time, as authorities have been consistently working to solve the issue.

He estimated that the average hotel occupancy rate during April and the Songkran festive period will remain around 60%, lower than last year’s rate of 65%.

Meanwhile, a representative from the Airlines Association of Thailand said airline bookings during the two days after the earthquake decreased by 40-60%. The drop in bookings from China was particularly significant, declining by 60%.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake was the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, with the death toll at 2,719 as of Wednesday.

In Thailand, the death toll from the quake rose to 21 on Tuesday, with hundreds of buildings damaged.

Between January and March 16, Thailand welcomed 8.3 million international visitors, a 3.9% increase year-on-year.