Target Phuket Quality Not Quantity and Hold Resorts for Now, Says New TAT Chief

PHUKET: The new director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand on Phuket, Chanchai Doungjit, has called for Phuket to concentrate on quality not quantity in future.

He also supports a Bali-style moratorium on constructing more resorts, villas and apartments until Phuket's tourism arrivals catch up with the high pace of development.

Khun Chanchai's comments on future trends came as Phuket just squeezed in to the top 10 cheapest destinations in the world in an online site survey of travellers' habits.

Hotels.com Asia Pacific vice-president Johan Svanstrom said the top 10 cheapest cities in the world for Australian travellers were in Asia.

''With low-cost carriers like Scoot, Jetstar and Tiger all competing for business, this is great news for Australian travellers,'' he said.

With visitors from China and Russia now zooming past Australians as the top nations delivering tourists to Phuket, Khun Chanchai's task of restoring Phuket's place in more traditional European markets will not be easy.

But he came out firmly yesterday in favor of attracting luxury-end customers and against price-cutting by resorts to boost instant returns.

''Cutting prices is not advisable because it leads to quality loss,'' he said. ''And cut prices often are hard to restore to normal levels.''

He said Phuket needed a ''workshop'' approach to slow develoment and grow the number of quality tourists.

''Improve quality, maintain prices and Phuket's level of customer-satisfaction and customers will increase,'' Khun Chanchai said.

Despite occasional criticism, Phuket was viewed with jealousy by Singapore, Bali and even Malaysia because it represented good value for money, had many activities for tourists to enjoy and had plenty of capacity for tourists of all kinds.

''The tourists we need to target in future are those looking for 'once in a lifetime' experiences,'' he said.

There will be no shortage of competition for places in the world's top 10 cheapest destinations if the hotels.com survey, based on real bookings, is any guide.

Phuket (-7pc to $108) rated 10th and last with from the top down Siem Reap, Cambodia (-3pc to $63) Hanoi, Vietnam (-17pc to $70) Cebu, Philippines (+3pc to $71) Chiang Mai (-15pc to $78) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (-10pc to $81) Pattaya (+8pc to $81) Manila, Philippines (+2pc to $83) Bangkok (+5pc to $95) and Jakarta, Indonesia (+18pc to $106).

Rio de janeiro (+ 25pc to $294), set to host the 2016 Olympics, ranks as the world's most expensive city ahead of New York (+ 3pc to $268.)

Geneva, Venice, Boston, Honolulu, Paris, Singapore, London and Perth are also in the top 10 most expensive.

Sourced: phuketwan