Thailand is working hard to bring tourists back to Phuket, its well-loved resort island. Starting July 1, fully vaccinated international travelers can visit Phuket without needing to quarantine, three months earlier than the rest of the country.
The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has come up with a new campaign called “One Night, One Dollar” to attract more tourists. In this campaign, participating hotels will offer night stays for just $1, even though these rooms usually cost between 1,000 and 3,000 baht ($32 to $96) per night.
TCT President Chamnan Srisawat expects that with 70,000 rooms available on the island, nearly a million nights could be booked at the one-dollar rate, potentially generating around 40 billion baht in July. This would help support hotels and other tourism services.
Chamnan mentioned that if the plan is approved, the Thai government would cover the cost discrepancies. They have discussed this idea with major wholesalers and online travel agents, who are ready to assist with Phuket’s reopening. The proposal has been submitted to both the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and will be reviewed by the cabinet in June.
If this promotion is successful in Phuket, the same strategy might be applied to other popular tourist spots like Bangkok, Pattaya, and Koh Samui. However, the ongoing wave of COVID-19 could affect the final decision. Chamnan emphasized that mass tourism is crucial for recovery after 15 months of struggle due to the pandemic.
Phuket is set to be the first Thai city to reopen to vaccinated international tourists in July, with expectations to welcome 500,000 visitors by the end of the year. This is significantly lower compared to the 6.7 million arrivals in 2020, which were mostly from the first quarter.
In 2019, before the pandemic, Thailand saw nearly 40 million visitors, generating 190 billion baht ($60 billion) in revenue.