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High-season tourism outlook bleak: PTA
Source: Phuketgazette
Three
local beauties dressed in traditional Thai dress took part in the Loy
Krathong activities in Patong yesterday evening. Photo by Christian
Mouchet.
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PHUKET CITY: Despite a large drop in fuel prices internationally, the
outlook for this year’s high season for tourism remains bleak, a top
tourism industry leader says.
Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Vice-President Bhuritt Maswongsa told the Gazette
that current occupancy rates and bookings from now until the end of the
year should result in an island-wide average occupancy rate of about
55% compared to 80% for the same period last year.
Mr
Bhuritt, who is General Manager of the Patong Beach Resort, said the
main cause for the downturn was a drop in the number of arrivals from
Phuket’s traditional “bread-and-butter” market: Europe.
Security
fears resulting from the ongoing political turmoil in the capital and
global economics have combined to keep the Europeans away, he said.
“Many
countries still have travel advisories in effect, warning tourists not
to visit areas where pro- and anti-government demonstrations are taking
place. Also, the economic crisis in the US and Europe has caused
potential tourists to delay or cancel their travel plans in order to
save money,” he said.
“I expect that
many hotels and resorts will be forced to lay off staff around the
middle of next year. Another reason for the lower occupancy rate is
probably an oversupply situation in the number of hotel rooms,” he
added.
In Patong alone, the number of
rooms registered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand grew from 9,919
in 2005 to 12,962 by September this year, which is an increase of over
30%.
Similar increases in the number of rooms available
at hotels, resorts and rental villas have taken place in many other
parts of the island.
The PTA and the government will launch a
road show to China in mid-December in a bid to lure in more tourists
from that country, he said.
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