Phuket Sandbox: UK Leads Return of European Tourists to Thailand

Phuket Sandbox: UK Leads Return of European Tourists to Thailand
Phuket Sandbox: UK Leads Return of European Tourists to Thailand
Avatar of Harry Johnson
Written by Harry Johnson

UK government made a decision to not enforce quarantine restrictions on travelers returning from countries on its so-called “Amber List”, which includes Thailand.

  • Phuket Sandbox scheme is set to be assessed and analyzed by some of its key architects and stakeholders.
  • UK market is leading a return of European travelers with 12% of the 4,568 international arrivals to date.
  • 168,862 room nights have been booked across 305 hotels for a total guest number of 14,844, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand data.

As the two-week mark looms since the opening of one of the world’s most aspirational travel destinations, the bold Phuket Sandbox scheme is being assessed and analyzed by some of its key architects and stakeholders.

Key findings so far are that the UK market is leading a return of European travelers with 12% of the 4,568 international arrivals to date (July 11) coming from the UK – a fact industry observers claim is testament to the long-standing relationship between the UK and Phuket, direct point-to-point access from London Heathrow to Phuket International and pent up demand.

The figure has been further boosted by the UK government’s decision to not enforce quarantine restrictions on travelers returning from countries on its so-called “Amber List”, which includes Thailand. This policy is reported to have led to a 23% surge in overseas holiday bookings by Brits.

A total of 168,862 room nights have been booked across 305 hotels for a total guest number of 14,844 and an average of 11-nights’ stay, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand data on July 11.

The creation and implementation of the Phuket Sandbox was a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors, and this virtual roundtable will be led by representatives from the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors, along with industry analysts and marketing experts.

“It’s baby steps, but we are encouraged by the signs so far,” said Ravi Chandran, Managing Director of Laguna Phuket. “The UK market has responded quickly despite it being the UK summer months and we are delighted to welcome back the Brits who for us over our seven hotels make up 20% of our arrivals to date. Other key markets are Thailand, the US, UAE and Israel.”

All international tourists to Phuket need to undergo regular PCR tests. To enable this, Laguna Phuket recently partnered with Bangkok Hospital Phuket to set up an internationally-accredited test center within its grounds, which are home to seven hotels.

About the author

Avatar of Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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