Published on June 27, 2005

Visitors to resort island and surrounding areas still a fraction of normal number

Phuket has already lost at least Bt60 billion in tourism revenue in the six months since the tsunami ravaged the island together with other provinces in the South.

The tsunami’s impact on the tourism industry on the island has led to the closure of over 400 hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops, leaving over 5,000 people unemployed.

Thailand Tourism Council president Wichit Na Ranong said hotels in Phuket were now witnessing an average occupancy rate of between 10 and 15 per cent, down from 60 to 70 per cent in the same period last year.

The island and its closest mainland provinces, including Krabi and Phang Nga, are still suffering from a huge decrease in tourist arrivals.

“Many international airlines have closed their operations in Phuket, while only 20 per cent of the tourist services and related businesses in Phang Nga are in operation,” Wichit said late last week.

His remark came only a day after Hong Kong-based Dragonair’s announcement of its plans to close its Phuket office next month in the wake of the sharp drop in numbers of passengers flying to Phuket.

South Korea’s two leading air carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, will also suspend their direct flights to Phuket this week.

Wichit noted that prior to the tsunami, Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga attracted more than 4 million tourists a year and generated combined revenue of Bt120 billion. And despite the government’s efforts, including the sale of cheap tour packages by Thai Airways International, he does not expect a fast recovery.

“I expect Phuket to remain in this situation until the end of this year.”

The southern beaches’ high season will resume in October.

Despite discussions among the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), the Thai Travel Agents Association and the Thai Hotels Association, held under the guidance of Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, the several strategies that have been developed have failed to revive the industry so far.

According to figures from the tourism authority, Phuket International Airport recorded 159,423 tourist arrivals between January and May this year, compared to 487,419 arrivals during the same period last year, a drop 67 per cent.

On a monthly basis, the airport received 12,459 arrivals in January, down 92.21 per cent from 160,029, February saw 35,659 arrivals, down 62.08 per cent from 94,048, March, 49,839, down from 82,034; April 30,849, down from 78,229 and May 30,849, down from 73,082.

In the meantime, Don Muang International Airport received 3,184,496 visitors this year, compared to 3,182,481 last year, an increase of just 0.06 per cent.

Statistics from all entry points to Thailand showed that visitors from January to March dropped by 10.12 per cent from 2,974,692 arrivals last year to 2,673,732 this year.

Apichart Sankary, ATTA’s president of in-bound tour operators, said the tourist industry had failed to reach its targeted figure of 12 million tourists this year due to poor marketing strategies, especially in the areas of security matters and promotional activities.

“Overseas tourists, especially Japanese and European, are waiting for confirmation of better tsunami safety measures,” said Apichart.

However, ATTA has been informed that some chartered flights from Australia will return to Phuket during July and September this year and that significant numbers of Hong Kong tourists would also revisit the island.

Aneke Srishevachert, ATTA’S president of out-bound tourist operators, said that while foreign tourists stay away, domestic tourists are also opting to visit overseas destinations.

China, Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore are becoming favourite destinations because of cheap tour packages as a result of the governments’ subsidies to promote their tourism industries, he said.

Like others in the public and private sectors, Aneke hopes that foreign visitors will return in the last quarter of this year when the high season resumes. Phuket’s reputation as the Pearl of the Andaman Sea relies on it.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation

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