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About 4.7 million tourists are projected to visit the southern resort of Phuket in 2006, a jump of 87 per cent from last year, according to a report issued by Kasikorn Research Center. Tourism in Phuket plummeted after the tsunami devastated southern coastal provinces, including Phuket, on Boxing Day of 2004 but began to recover since the beginning of this year due to several positive factors, the report said.These factors included increased confidence on safety measures for tourists, close cooperation between the public and private sectors on reviving tourism spots and improving services in Phuket, and regular activities organized on the island.

Of the 4.7 million tourists visiting Phuket in 2006, about 70 per cent are foreign tourists, up 150 per cent from last year, while the remainder are local tourists which are projected to rise 18 per cent this year, the report said. This year's revenue from tourism in Phuket is estimated at Bt62 billion, a jump of 120 per cent from 2005, of which about 82 per cent of the total comes from spending by foreign tourists.

In a bid to make Phuket the gateway to the Andaman Sea in 2007, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has mapped strategies on developing tourism on the island as well as areas along the Andaman Sea. Private tourism operators will also adapt their business strategies to coordinate with the government's policy.

Tourism recovery in Phuket is expected to continue to 2007 with sustainable growth projected at 11 per cent or 5.2 million people visiting the island while tourism revenue is estimated to further rise to Bt74 billion, the report added. (TNA)

This article was first published in Business Day December 10th 2006