Phuket’s tourist evolution – Diversity is the best option Part 1

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Phuket’s tourist evolution – Diversity is the best option Part 1

by Guest Writer

 

 

Today’s guest writer has been managing resorts around Phuket for two decades and has represented his brand at international expos along with promotions for Phuket over the years. His knowledge is first-hand and steeped in local experience. He has asked to remain anonymous.

 

At the end of the 1990’s into the early 2000’s Phuket saw the drastic increase in number of guests from Scandinavia countries with their tour operators investing many millions of Baht in developing new resorts to cater for their expected dramatic increase in tourism to Thailand. 

 

Today most of these resorts still stand and have successfully operated since but, some (as ours have) have seen the Scandianavian guests moving out and focusing more on Khao Lak as a preferred destination plus the resort towns of Hua Hin and Rayong who emerged as preferred destinations for the Scandinavian market. They too have seen changes with the development of small communities of private housing to cater for this market in preference to traditional resorts. This is also true for couples and the ‘silver’ market (over 60s). Families however are very much geared towards purpose-built family-friendly resorts, or resorts operated/managed by their tour operator. 

 

In the early 2000’s we also saw the beginnings of the Russian market starting to check out Phuket as a new destination. I remember when one tour operator, who is very successful now, came to our resort to ask for some rooms and if they could pay on departure for their guests rather than before their arrival. We were one of the first to say ‘yes’ and even today the tour operator always recalls that early business assistance when they chat with me. 

 

Since then Phuket experienced arrivals from Russians drastically increasing year on year beyond any expectations, until now. For our resorts, we relied on the Russian market to fill nearly 80% of the resort for high season and they just carried on asking for more and more rooms until April this year when this market’s numbers dropped through the floor. As Egypt has re-opened and Vietnam is seen as the ‘new’ place to be seen, Russian guests are now heading to these destinations and Phuket has been left behind.  

 

Will they come back? Only time will tell, but over the past year the number of families has increased heavily with over 60% of one major tour operator’s guest arrival list being families. So if the Russians do come back (and everyone is positive that they will), it COULD mean that there is a shift in choice of beach or choice of resort offering more kid-friendly opportunities.  

 

Resort operators therefore need to look at the future and ‘change with the times’. In some cases this might mean having to change their guest room configurations to cater for market swings or as in the case of a friend’s resort, knock down single rooms and build more family-friendly accommodation! Upgrade facilities to cater to the new markets. This also goes for local establishments – restaurants, attractions, tours and retail shops. 

 

In our resorts, we have increased the number of family rooms by over 100% with 50 rooms currently being converted to cater for this market. 

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/phukets-tourist-evolution-diversity-is-the-best-option-part-1

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-06-27

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[ChipButty]

I wonder how many more rooms are available since 10 years ago plus the like of Airbnb properties I last read somewhere in the region of 3500 properties listed on airbnb in Phuket alone

[Joe Mcseismic]

Phuket's evolution is simple to understand and happens all over the world.

Starts with back-packers and independent travelers that discover the place.

As word gets around, it becomes the "in" place attracting the well-heeled tourists.

Cheaper tourists follow and then it becomes over-crowded this pushes out the "quality" tourists.

The race to the bottom with mass tourism begins.

 

Tourism eventually always destroys the very thing that attracted tourists in the first place.

[Nip]

As far as I can see this guest writer is unnamed which is curious and all he is actually doing is confirming what we all know; The tourists, they came, they saw, they were turned over and they left never to return. I've lived many years in Phuket and travelled all over Thailand and the very people the Thais dislike most are the ones the TAT are now targeting ie from India and Africa. 

Edited June 27, 2019 by Nip
Spelling

[DrTuner]

Gee somehow I can't muster a single ounce of sympathy for those that jumped into the Russian/Chinese train and are now feeling the pinch.

[Joe Mcseismic]

4 minutes ago, DrTuner said:

Gee somehow I can't muster a single ounce of sympathy for those that jumped into the Russian/Chinese train and are now feeling the pinch.

Don't worry..........the Indians are going to save Phuket tourism.