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PHUKET, Thailand is targeting one million foreign tourist arrivals in the fourth quarter or the last three months of this year.
One of the popular tourist destinations in Thailand, it also targets a total of 3.5 million tourist visits this year. This is because operators on the island have seen positive signs of easing travel restrictions recently.
According to the President of the Phuket Tourist Association, Bhummikitti Raktaengam quoted by the Bangkok Post, Sunday (5/15) said that international arrivals have increased to 3,000-5,000 per day since May 1, 2022. This figure is very far when compared to 400-500 visits per day during sandbox period and 2,500 per day under “Test & Go” scheme.
“India is one of the potential markets because it contributes the most foreign tourists this month, with an average of 1,000 people per day thanks to direct flights to Phuket. The second largest group of foreign tourists came from Australia, with around 10,000 people visiting Phuket in April. This figure is expected to increase to 15,000 arrivals per month,” he said.
He added that the other main markets for visiting Phuket were the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. The occupancy rate of hotels in strategic locations such as Patong, which is popular among Indian and Australian tourists, is estimated to reach 60-70% this month.
“In fact, tourism associations in Phuket estimate the number of tourists who fly directly to the island. The viral situation should no longer be of great concern, but other economic indicators over the last quarter should be taken into account, including inflation, exchange rates and oil prices, which affect the supply and demand sides,” Bhummikitti noted.
According to him, greater accessibility of direct flights to Phuket is also key to helping increase arrivals. Tourism operators will have to wait and see if more direct flight slots are awarded to Phuket.
For information, in 2019 or before the pandemic outbreak hit, Phuket received 10 million foreign tourists, with three million of them coming from China. The average length of stay of each tourist in Phuket is usually four to five days.
However, Bhummikitti added that this number could increase to six days if the island of Phuket offers more activities and recreational attractions. [sources/photo special]
