Officials expect tens of billions of baht in Phuket tourism revenue in next 6 months
The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand expects Phuket to welcome 1 million foreign visitors in the next 6 months. Yuthasak Supasorn says this will generate around 60 billion baht in tourism revenue, as a result of some travel restrictions being relaxed.
“We expect the number of visitors will significantly increase in the final quarter factoring in the quarantine reduction from 14 to 7 days starting from October, while a consistent decrease in the infection rate benefits inbound markets in the upcoming high season.”
The Bangkok Post reports that, in addition to the quarantine reduction, group applications are now possible for the certificate of entry. The COE approval process is seen by many as a major deterrent for tourists. Allowing group applications means tour operators can assist clients with the application process. Yuthasak says his office plans to hold talks with the Foreign Ministry about the possibility of accepting COE applications 3 months in advance. The current limit is 1 month. He says they may also discuss the possibility of getting rid of it altogether.
Yuthasak says flights from Russia will also resume from the end of this month, while talks are ongoing about relaxing the measures taken with passengers unlucky enough to be on the same flight as someone who tests positive for Covid-19. Discussions are yet to take place on reducing the price of PCR testing, possibly halving mandatory Covid-19 insurance coverage to US$50,000, and introducing an electronic verification system for vaccine certificates.
According to a Bangkok Post report, the Phuket sandbox has generated 2.25 billion baht since its launch on July 1. The nationality most represented was Thai, with 7,494 Thais availing of the scheme. They were followed by the Americans, at 5,845, then 5,414 visitors from Israel, and 4,758 from the UK.
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SOURCE: Bangkok Post
