Hotel boom continues on Phuket

The Office of Commercial Affairs Phuket reports a double digit growth in hotel developments registered on the island during the first 10 months of the year.

The report suggests another 24 hotels will open by 2014 ranging in size from 40 to 150 room units.

According to the report, there were 25 newly registered hotels in Phuket from January to October up 13.63% on the previous year.

“New properties are scattered around the island including Karon, Rawai in Muang district and Patong and Kamala beach in Kathu district,” said the Office of Commercial Affairs Phuket acting provincial commercial officer, Jaras Petchphakdee.

The new properties are a response to growing demand in Phuket mainly from tourism although long-stay visitors are also growing.

For the first 10-month of this year, the average occupancy rate in Phuket stood at 78.5%.

Data from Phuket Airport Immigration checkpoints indicated 2,034,052 international arrivals, up 32% for the first 10 months of 2011. It breaks down into 1,834,052 arrivals by air and just 200,427 on yachts and cruises.

However, the report says that due to the economic crisis in Europe, tourist arrivals from countries like Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain and France are dipping.

But floods in the central provinces failed to impact on tourism as the province has 11,003 direct flights, a 20.81% increase from 9,107 flights in 2010 and 13 charters from China, India, Russia and Europe that represent 64 flights a week.

Research by C9 Hotelworks, showed 25 properties, or over 5,000 rooms, are in the pipeline and due to open by 2014. The research also said that 56% of the supply will be midscale hotels, followed by upscale and budget and economy tiers at 27% and 12% respectively.

Phuket has 43,571 hotel rooms in registered accommodation establishments. Based on the registration department data, 24 hotels are scheduled to open by 2014.

Source - ttrweekly