Phuket ‘leading Thailand’s recovery’

Holidaymakers taking cheap flights to Phuket could be helping the destination return to the ‘boom days of 2007’, it has been said.According to the new mid-year edition of the Phuket Market Update, published by hospitality consulting firm C9 Hotelworks, the region is enjoying a “dramatic recovery” and is at the very front of Thailand’s revival as a holiday hotspot.

Figures from the new report showed that in the first half of 2010, passenger traffic through Phuket International Airport was up by almost 30 per cent compared to the same six months in 2009.

The good performance of the Thai tourist sector is being driven by the weakness of the sterling and the euro, said managing director at C9 Hotelworks Bill Barnett, who noted that this has “transformed travel patterns to the resort island destination”.

Phuket is a popular destination with backpackers who can keep the cost of their break down by taking cheap flights to Thailand. While on the luxury island, holidaymakers should take advantage of the low priced markets and beauty treatments available, including Thai massages.

Written by Ruth Norris