The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) has recently wrapped up its highly successful Phuket Tourism Fair which happened last July 30 to August 2 at the Siam Paragon Hall in Bangkok. The event, held in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and supported by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization, is part of what TAT describes as an “aggressive proactive tourism strategy” that is targeted towards a domestic audience.
The Phuket Tourism Fair aims to promote, support, and rehabilitate tourism in Phuket. It was designed to provide a venue where tour operators in Phuket affected by the pandemic can promote their business to locals and expats and offer their products and services at special rates.
The event is just one of the many strategies that PTA has devised in order to help tourism-related businesses survive until the situation works its way towards normalcy, which may take until mid-2021 at the earliest. Noppadon Pakprot, TAT Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing, said that the government’s policy to support domestic travel plays an important role in helping local tourism operators through the crisis.
Serving as the first step in PTA’s tourism recovery plans, the event highlighted the events and activities that are scheduled to happen in Phuket from August to December 2020. These events include the Phuket Tastival Seafood & Gastronomy from August to September, which will connect cuisine, culture and tourism. There will also be weekly festivities on the island to reinforce the uniqueness of Phuket’s cuisine. A “new normal” open-air concert featuring famous Phuket celebrities will also be held on September 12 at the Saphan Han Bridge.
PTA president, Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, said that Phuket, having been able to effectively control the virus, has relaxed its lockdown measures and approved the re-opening of its international airport for domestic travels since June. The Phuket International Airport currently has flights from five airlines, with daily flights from domestic destinations such as Bangkok, Koh Samui, Chiang Rai and U-Tapao. Flights to other provinces like Chiang Mai and Udon Thani are also expected to be added soon.
To ensure that the utmost safety measures are being followed during these events, several Phuket tourism operators have signed up for the Safety Health Administration (SHA) certification scheme formulated by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in collaboration with the TAT and the Ministry of Public Health. Currently, more than 350 operators from different tourism sectors including transportation services, entertainment, dining, and accommodation providers such as hotels, resorts, and villas all around Phuket have been certified and accredited to make use of the SHA logo in their marketing materials.
Phuket plays a significant role in Thailand’s tourism industry, boasting international hotels, Michelin-star restaurants, and world-class attractions. Mr. Noppadon Pakprot, Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business, said that this initiative of PTA can serve as a regional tourism model for other Thailand destinations.
