Phuket shifts to targeting ‘quality’ tourists

Revenue likely to top B500bn this year

- ACHADTAYA CHEUNNIRAN

Phuket is looking to strengthen its standing as a high-quality destination, with projected tourist revenue expected to surpass 500 billion baht this year, says Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association.

He highlighted the island’s strategic shift towards quality-driven tourism and underscored confidence that Phuket remains firmly within the global health-and-wellness trend.

Mr Thanet said the association’s primary role is to promote Phuket internationally through roadshows and trade events across all continents — around 10 to 14 events annually — funded by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO).

The PPAO allocates revenue from the province's unique 1% hotel room fee, which brings in nearly 300 million baht from about 1,000 licensed hotels.

Phuket, however, still faces a large gap in hotel licensing, with more than 5,400 unlicensed establishments. Mr Thanet urged the House tourism committee to push for formalising more accommodation providers.

He said tourism accounts for 95% of Phuket’s economy. From January to October, the island generated more than 442 billion baht in tourism revenue.