From tsunami through terror attacks to Covid-19: crisis communication strategies and recovery campaigns to combat Thailand’s tourism crises

Abstract

Countries dealing with tourism crises use a variety of crisis communication strategies, as found in various studies. Thailand is one of the strongest global tourism brands and tourism remains its dominant industry. In recent decades, it has suffered several crises: natural disasters, terrorist attacks, a pandemic, and internal political tensions. This study analyzes which crisis communication strategies Thai officials adopted to restore Thailand’s positive image during tourism crises; in addition, we analyzed how these strategies stem from the country’s ideations and cultural values, a subject that was scarcely addressed in previous crisis communication theory.