SURAT THANI: A cruise ship with more than 2,800 passengers and crew on board docked at Koh Samui on Saturday for a one-day visit.
Mein Schiff 5 was the second cruise ship to visit Koh Samui of Surat Thani province for three years since the outbreak of Covid-19.
Local residents joined tourism business representatives and officials to warmly welcome the liner owned by TUI Cruises of Germany, carrying 1,897 passengers and 917 crew. Most of the passengers were German tourists.
Chaiyaphol Inthasupha, the Koh Samui district chief, said the group showed interest in the attractions on the island and the visit would help boost the local tourism economy.
Supakarn Yodchun, director of the Samui office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said it was a pleasure to see that community tourism had been included in a tour package being sold on a cruise ship for the first time. This would enable tourists to experience the local way of living, while generating income for local residents, she said.
On Nov 27, MV Viking Mars, operated by Viking Cruises and carrying 635 passengers, became the first European cruise ship to visit the island in three years.
Mein Schiff 5 departed from Antalya in Turkey on Nov 5 and made shops in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam before arriving at Samui on Saturday morning.
Visits to Koh Samui have been rising steadily in the second half of the year, with most of the foreign arrivals from Germany, Israel, the United Kingdom, France and Australia.
Sellers of locally made products on Koh Samui greet tourists visiting their shop on Saturday. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)
Tourists visit a roadside stall selling local products on Koh Samui. The arrival of cruise ships is helping to boost the local economy. (Photo: Supapong Chaolan)