Cheaper flights to Phuket a possibility to help revive the tourism industry

Some say cheaper flights to Phuket will entice people to visit the island and get the once booming tourist destination back on its feet. Along with talk of lowering the price of tickets, those at a stakeholder meeting at the Thai Airways International headquarters in Bangkok say more direct international flights to the island also need to be reinstated.

The lack of international travel due to the coronavirus crippled Phuket’s tourism-dependent economy. The resort island province has been working on stimulating domestic tourism to make up for lost revenue and keep the tourism industry afloat.

Already you can get discount seats from Bangkok to Phuket, and return, for around 500 – 600 baht, taxes included, with Thai VietJet, Thai Lion Air and Nok Air (during a quick browse of the airline sites this morning). The taxi fare for the trip to Patong, Kat and Karon could cost you 800 – 1000 baht.

Last month, around 200,000 domestic tourists visited Phuket, but that number isn’t close to what last year’s numbers were. In 2019, over 14 million foreign visitors to Phuket brought in 470 billion baht, making up 90% of the province’s tourism revenue.

While some tourism related businesses are able to adapt and now cater to a local customer base, some still need foreign tourists to survive. At the stakeholder meeting, Phuket governor Narong Woonciew suggested airlines add more flights, lowering ticket prices and drawing in more domestic visitors.

Thai Airways was going to resume flights from Bangkok to Phuket on Christmas, but pushed the date back to January 1 due to the recent Covid-19 infections.

Some people at the stakeholder meeting discussed reinstating direct flights from European countries. Even with a 14 day quarantine, international travel demand remains strong, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand deputy governor Sirikorn Chieksamut. Thai Airways acting vice president for sales, Jesada Chandrema, says the proposal is “interesting and possible.”

SOURCE: Bangkok Post