Surat Thani, which includes popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, recorded the country's highest growth in tourist arrivals and tourism revenue last year, according to ministry data.
The largest province of southern Thailand earned 27.66 billion baht from tourist arrivals last year, a 912.04% increase from 2021, Surat Thani governor Witchawut Jinto said on Friday, citing statistics from the Economics Tourism and Sports Division under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
The province attracted 3,690,642 visitors in 2022, a rise by 666.74% from a year earlier. There were 2,713,270 hotel guests last year, up 696.38% year-on-year. The hotel occupancy rate was 45.24%.
Mr Witchawut attributed the growth to the easing of the Covid-19 situation.
He predicted higher growth in tourist arrivals and tourism revenue in Surat Thani this year, citing many Thai and foreign arrivals to the province in January. There were cruise ships entering Koh Samui every week plus charter flights to Surat Thani and Koh Samui, he added.
Koh Samui, Koh Phangnan, Koh Tao and other attractions were magnets for tourists, he said.
