Phuket province has seen more than 26,000 international visitors in the two-month period since it reopened to tourists accessing the Phuket Sandbox campaign. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says this figure reflects a satisfactory outcome.
Phuket province has welcomed 26,695 international visitors from 1st July to 1st September following the launch of the Phuket Sandbox campaign where eligible international tourists are able to holiday on the island without undergoing quarantine.
The number of Phuket Sandbox international arrivals on Thursday alone was 295 persons, while cumulative hotel bookings for July and August numbered 366,971 nights. This figure will grow to 471,471 nights when combined with reservations for September.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, said on Friday it is now unlikely the campaign will achieve the 100,000 visitor goal set for July-September, as the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Thailand has forced Phuket to implement stricter entry controls, while some countries including the United States and European countries have placed Thailand on their list of high-risk countries.
Meanwhile, travelers from the United States have so far made up the biggest portion of Phuket Sandbox visitors at 3,438 persons, followed by the United Kingdom, Israel, Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia, and China.
The TAT governor said the number of visitors at this time reflects the campaign’s success in giving both international and domestic tourists the confidence to visit, while the infection rate in Phuket remains low at 0.3%, with most of the cases detected in arrival tests conducted at Phuket Airport.
The TAT governor said the campaign will now look forward to how it can best attract visitors in the upcoming high season, with further discussions planned with the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. (NNT)
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