Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is scheduled to meet with representatives of hotels and other tourism-related businesses on Thailand’s famous resort island of Phuket on Wednesday, to discuss the proposed “area quarantine” concept for foreign travelers and tourists.

The concept will allow travellers arriving from abroad more freedom of movement and is expected to attract more foreign visitors to Thailand and to Phuket, which will be one of the first areas to implement the “area quarantine” concept, tentatively in April, if approved by the government.

Most hotels in Phuket remain almost deserted, with only 20% occupancy during weekends and other holiday, and most of those customers are Thais.

Meanwhile, the National Communicable Disease Committee approved the idea of vaccine passports on Monday, to be issued to those already inoculated. The document will shorten the period of mandatory quarantine from 14 days to 7 upon arrival in Thailand, with the exception of travellers from South Africa, who are still subject to 14-day quarantine.

Tourism and tourism-related businesses are optimistic that the vaccine passport will encourage more foreign travellers to visit Thailand.