PHUKET: The majority of international tourists in Phuket at the start of the low season come from China, followed by Russia and Australia, according to the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA).
PTA vice-president, Thanawat Oncharoen, said yesterday most of the visitors from China were independent travellers, adding the number of tourist groups from the country remains low, though he did not reveal any details.
While this year's international arrivals are only at 70% of pre-pandemic numbers, the figure represents a significant improvement from last year's, he said, noting the arrival of longer-term holidaymakers from Europe and Russia have helped push Phuket's tourism-related revenue to pre-Covid-19 levels.
Mr Thanawat said the island's authorities are looking to welcome more tourists from Kazakhstan and Israel this year. He noted the number of visitors from the Middle East tends to increase around this time of the year, as many tourists from the region come to enjoy the rainy season on the island.
The number of Indian and Australian visitors, he added, has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Sueksit Suwannaditsakul, president of the Southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, said that hotel occupancy in Phuket was at 70% between January to May.
There are about 3,000 hotels with about 200,000 rooms in Phuket.
According to Lertchai Wangtrakuldee, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) Phuket office, the island has welcomed at least 6 million domestic and international travellers in the first five months of this year, who generated about 196 billion baht for the local economy.
TAT is expecting to welcome at least 12 million tourists to the island this year, said Mr Lertchai.