Tourist arrivals to Phuket in the first Quarter ( Q1) this year are up on last year, but the amount tourists are spending while here is down .
The figures are released by the Phuket Provincial Commercial Office ( PPCO) show 827.828 tourists arrived in Phuket in Q1, a 39,9 per cent increase on the same period last year. According to the Phuket immigration data, 741.211 tourists arrived at Phuket International Airport (PIA) during the period, with 86.617 tourists , 1o per cent of the total, arriving by sea on cruise ships and yachts. There was also an increase of international flights to PIA in Q 1.
More flights are operating between Phuket and China, , South Korea, Australia, the Middle East and Russia. In Q1, 3.804 flights landed at PIA, a jump of 19,1 per cent on last year. Mostly the tourists come from Russia, China, Sweden, Australia and South Korea.Russia was the main source or growth for Phuket in Q1, with a 110 per cent increase.
The hotel industry in Phuket also achieved significant growth due to the sharp increase in tourists. The average occupancy rate of Phuket´s hotels during Q1 of this year was 78,3 per cent, an increase of 10,2 per cent on last year. Despite a rise in tourists, spending per head decreased by 25 per cent compared to last year.
New hotels continue to spring up around the island, which in the future should continue to increase the total supply of rooms in Phuket. During Q1 2011, there were seven newly registered hotels in Phuket, an increase of 75 per cent compared to the same period last year. The new hotels each have 50 to 120 rooms, with a price range of 600 to 4.300 bath per roomnight. Most of the new hotels are located on the west coast of the island.