Bid to keep south on world tourism radar

Suchart Hirankanokkul, former president of the Thai Hotels Association’s Southern Chapter, said yesterday that the association will call on the government and tourism authorities to reveal a tourism master plan for the Andaman Coast, covering key leisure destinations such as Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand will talk with tourism associations and the private sector in Phuket today on its Andaman strategy and tourism business plan.

Suchart said the tourism business in the South was not too bad this year and last year, compared to other places like Bangkok and Pattaya that have been laid down by the political tensions.

Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak in Phang Nga are enjoying an increase in tourists from all over the world.

However, the region needs infrastructure and land transportation systems to improve surface connectivity between provinces.

Airports in Phuket and Krabi are being expanded and are expected to bring a lot more visitors to the region.

"There will soon be no problem with air connectivity, but the new problem will be about the limitation of road capacity linking major attractions.

"Tourists are taking hours to reach each place, which causes a bad impression," he said.

The government should inject more budget into land transport development to shorten the journey.

The association will also ask the government to prepare measures to alleviate the shortage of electricity and energy, as many hotel projects are expected to complete construction this year, while more tourists are also expected to flock to the region.

"Operators have warned that a power shortage could strike within two years so they need to see the government’s preparation for energy sufficiency," he said.

Phuket alone is expected to serve 15 million tourists a year in a few years, up from 12 million in 2013. Tourists from Asia are expected to surge this year as many of them avoid visiting Bangkok out of safety concerns.

A representative of the Krabi Tourism Business Association said Krabi, Phuket and Khao Lak have become world famous destinations for tourist as well as for expats and retirees. However, the region still needs to improve facilities, security and service standards.

"The safety image is the first priority to be concerned about, so we strongly urge the government to tighten up security to reassure tourists while they are staying in the Kingdom.

"Without confidence in safety, the region will likely find it hard to remain on the global tourism map," the source said.

Standard fares for public cabs and airport taxis in Phuket and Krabi are also needed to prevent the scamming and cheating of tourists.

At a recent regional travel trade fair in Myanmar’s capital Nay Pyi Taw, many new or under construction hotels in the South introduced themselves to the emerging market.

Besides Bangkok, Phuket could become a new gateway to Myanmar for tourists from third countries.