FantaSea closes temporarily
KAMALA: The Phuket FantaSea tourist attraction will be closed until January 18, because of the tsunami.
Managing Director Pin Kewkacha said the Kamala-based attraction had sustained damage totaling 60 to 70 million baht, and that, in addition, it had lost between 150 million and 200 million baht in revenue because of the slump in the number of visitors.
As a result, the management has decided to close FantaSea for 10 days.
“We’ve had something like 15 visitors a day since the tsunami; in the past we would have 3,000 to 6,000,” said K. Pin.
“After the tsunami, the tour agencies cancelled their reservations until February. This is the high season, but still we can’t get people here.”
He called on the government to do more to persuade tourists to return to Phuket. One idea, he said, was for the government to provide “package tours” whereby, for 3,000 baht, tourists would get a return Bangkok-Phuket air ticket plus accommodation.
Although directed at Thai tourists, this could encourage visitors from all over the world to return to Phuket, said K. Pin.
