Hotel operators in Phuket proposed to the authorities to allow reopening of hotels on June 1, so they can get ready for the full operation later.
Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, president of the Thai Hotels Association’s (THA) southern chapter said the proposal was raised at a recent meeting with local authorities and public health officials.
If approved, he expected about 30-40 per cent of hotel staff would return to work.
He said the first group of guests during the soft opening was likely to be local market such as local business people, who would travel to Phuket for business trips not as tourists.
Foreign tourists will later come after the outbreak is put under control and the international fight ban is lifted. He viewed that tourists from China and Asian countries would be the major incoming travellers, arriving around October.
When international airlines are allowed to operate flights to Thailand, it will take some time for potential tourists to regain confidence in travelling.
He expected Phuket tourism would be back in motion next year when the island could see the number of tourists rebound to the same figures, recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic. (TNA)
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