(VOVworld) – The tourism industry of Thailand, a country of magnificent white sand beaches and sunset view, is being hurt by bomb attacks. Stricter security measures are taken to ensure safety for tourists.

Police investigate an attacked site (Photo: EPA/VNA)

On August 11 and 12, 11 bomb blasts occurred in southern provinces, leaving at least 4 people dead and 34 injured, including 10 tourists. Clashes between the Government forces and rebels over the years have killed 6,000 people, but this has been the first time tourists were attacked.

Consecutive bomb explosions are considered having large impact on the number of visitors and revenue of the tourism industry, which contributes a great deal to Thailand’s GDP. In 2015, tourism earned 2.8 trillion baths (81.6 billion USD, accounting for 21% of national GDP. According to statistics of the World Travel and Tourism Council, last year, Thailand’s tourism created 5.9 million jobs accounting for 15% of the national workforce.

Following the bomb attacks, Thai authorities quickly tightened control at tourist sites and distributed pictures of suspects found from security cameras. Tourist Police chief Maj Gen Surachet Hakpal ordered the setting up of security check points at entrances of major tourist spots such as temples or historical relic sites. Wounded foreign tourists received emergency care and most of them are in stable conditions. Investigations and hunt down of perpetrators were carried out promptly. The police arrested 2 men suspected of conducting the bomb attack in Hua Hin resort town, 200km south of Bangkok.

No group has yet claimed responsibility and Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attacks are not linked to terrorism, but acts of public disturbances.

Thai Minister of Tourism Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul was optimistic that the tourism industry will not be affected much as experience has been learnt from the Erawan shrine bombing in August 2015. The minister said Thailand remains a friendly destination, which has been proved by the rising number of visitors after last August. On August 12, bars and restaurants in Phuket, one of the bombed provinces, were reopened.

According to tourist experts, Thailand will soon recover from the recent sufferings. The UN World Tourism Organization announced that it will continue celebration of the World Tourism Day 2016 in Bangkok in September. Secretary General of the Organization Taleb Rifai said the celebration demonstrates the world’s unity and fearlessness over any attackers.