Tourist arrivals in the famous resort town of Phuket have increased by 10 percent, with more visitors from India though Chinese arrivals have not picked since the Phoenix tourist boat tragedy in mid-July.
The increase of tourist arrivals during the current high season was due mainly to the government’s decision to waive visa fee for tourists from 21 countries, including India whose tourist arrivals have increased substantially, replacing the shortfall from arrivals from China.
Purit Matwongsa, a hotel executive on Patong, a beach popular with tourists in Phuket, said tour groups from China have sharply dropped since the boat tragedy, but many Chinese tourists still continue to visit Phuket.
He said tour operators and entrepreneurs in tourism-related businesses should not be alarmed by the drop in arrivals from China as Phuket still remains a popular destination for tourists.
Meanwhile, Mrs Kanokkittikar Kritwutthikorn, director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that tourism outlook for the island during the high season is promising with steady tourist arrivals from Australia, Russia and China who see regard Phuket as a an attractive destination.
She noted that there were more tourist arrivals from India, thanks to the visa fee waiver during the high season for tourists from 21 countries, including India.
