Phuket - Tourists Destroy Island
Is it too late or am i missing something here? Tourists are destroying the island so they wish to put a limit on tourists of 5million a year.
So they then give out statistics stating that Phuket has 30,000 hotel rooms with an average occupancy of 70%.
Well I make that more than 7 million hotel rooms booked each year
TAT urged to limit Phuket tourists
"Tourists destroy the island"
PHUKET: -- The Phuket Tourist Association has urged the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to limit the number of travellers to the island to a maximum of 5 million a year, due to a lack of hotel rooms and services.
Association president Maitree Narukatpichai, also director of the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, said the island received almost 5 million international tourists last year, with more than 5 million expected this year.
As a result, the province faces having insufficient accommodation, tourism services and labour. He also warned of attractions and the environment being destroyed by tourists.
Maitree said the TAT should try to draw tourists of quality rather than in quantity, in order to preserve Phuket as a high-end destination.
"There are 30,000 hotel rooms in Phuket, with an average annual occupancy rate of 70 per cent and bringing in revenues of Bt70 billion a year. This should be enough for Phuket," said Maitree.
The island is expected to have 1,000 more rooms within the next few years, but most will be small boutique resorts with expensive rates.
Methee Tanmanatrakul, managing director of Holiday Villa Phuket, said Phuket could transform itself into a centre of tourism, spreading tourists into neighbouring areas like Krabi, Phang Nga and Koh Samui.
He suggested the TAT promote other destinations in the South rather than limit the number of tourists in Phuket, especially in the low season. The TAT should try to make tourists stay longer in the country.
Too many tourists in Phuket could cause security problems, particularly since the Bangkok bombings on New Year's Eve. "We're very concerned about tourists' safety, despite Phuket being free of bombings," said Methee.
Maitree said the government had provided 150 additional police in all tourist places and public areas in Phuket, in order to restore tourists' confidence, while operators were adding more security measures.
Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) president Apichart Sankary said safety was the most important factor in keeping tourists coming to the Kingdom.
"If another bombing were to happen in a main tourist destination like Phuket, it would destroy the whole country," warned Apichart.
ATTA reported that since January 1, some tourists had cancelled their trips to Thailand, mostly from Asian markets like Malaysia, Singapore, China and Japan. However, Western tourists were still confirming their travel to Thailand after having paid for their trips earlier.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the TAT held a meeting in Phuket yesterday to compile tourism strategies for Phuket and other destinations in the South.
Minister Suvit Yodmani said the government was trying to establish flight routes for Phuket with Ranong and Hat Yai. He also wanted to develop a community in Phuket - Maenam Dum village - as a home-stay destination.
Authorities said they would focus on higher-quality tourists this year. The ministry has a target of 14.8 million international tourists generating revenues of Bt547 billion, while domestic travel is expected to comprise 82 million trips and revenues of Bt377 billion.
The South is the key to success, because it features a variety of products with which to attract tourists from all over the world.
New TAT governor Pornsiri Manoharn said 13 million trips were made by tourists and locals into 14 provinces in the South last year, higher than the expected figure of 12 million. Revenues of Bt121 billion were higher than the original projection of Bt96 billion.
She said airlines like Dragon Air of Hong Kong and Air Macao were flying more tourists to Phuket.
--The Nation 2007-01-09
