Phuket’s high season “best in five years”

Phuket’s tourism industry is enjoying its strongest high season in five years, beating even pre-Covid-19 benchmarks, with operators optimistic that momentum will carry into 2026 as the island prepares to host six major global events, according to Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association.

Thanet said Phuket’s peak season—covering the fourth quarter of 2025 through the first quarter of 2026—has been the best in five years. He said the island’s tourism numbers are expected to exceed 2019 levels, both in visitor arrivals and spending per head.

He said Phuket faced headwinds earlier this year, particularly in the second and third quarters, due to various developments including conflict-related factors. Even so, he estimated daily visitor numbers during the high season at around 60,000 to 80,000.

Phuket is targeting tourism revenue of 550 billion baht for 2025, with more than 80% expected to come from foreign visitors. The Tourism Authority of Thailand has projected overall visitor numbers at about 10–14 million, but the association—using a narrower count focused on international arrivals through Phuket’s entry point—expects around five million to nearly six million foreign visitors. Thanet said this estimate is used for planning trade shows and roadshows, as well as helping businesses plan investment and renovation.

For 2026, he forecast Phuket’s tourism revenue would rise by 10% from 2025 to about 605 billion baht. He said the top three source markets are expected to remain the same but with a reshuffle: Russia in first place, India second, and China third.

He said long-haul markets are showing particularly strong growth, especially Europe, with Germany and the UK climbing the rankings. European travellers are also booking earlier than in previous years, and are travelling more during the green season than before. He said Indian travellers have helped offset the slower return of Chinese visitors.

He said Australia is another key market during that period, with travellers escaping winter, while Middle Eastern markets are expanding broadly, including Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. He also highlighted the CIS market, including Kazakhstan, noting that a large share of Kazakh visitors to Thailand choose Phuket.

Thanet said China has not fully recovered compared with pre-Covid levels, at around 30%, largely because direct flights remain limited. However, he said there are positive signals, including a sharp rise in online searches for Thailand by Chinese travellers, and he expects stronger demand around the Lunar New Year period. He added that even with lower volumes, Chinese visitors are spending more.

Citing Alipay data, he said Chinese tourists’ spending has increased around fourfold compared with before, with average spending per trip estimated at more than 30,000 baht and longer stays. He said the average length of stay is around three times longer than in 2019, at more than seven nights.

He said one key driver behind the high season’s growth is the expansion of direct international flights into Phuket. He cited Air France’s direct service, which he said could lift annual arrivals from around 170,000–180,000 to more than 200,000, and Virgin Atlantic’s service from the UK, which selected Phuket as its first Asia-Pacific destination. Still, he noted some markets—especially China—have not grown at the same pace due to limited direct flights.

Thanet also pointed to capacity pressures at Phuket International Airport, which has one runway and 25 parking bays, yet must handle as many as 400 flights per day during peak season.

He said tourism operators want Thai Airways to resume direct international flights to Phuket, as it previously did, noting that shifting flights back to Bangkok has forced many international passengers to connect via the capital, pushing up the cost of domestic legs and tightening seat availability.

He said the association plans roadshows in 2026 in both existing and emerging markets. These include the Middle East in January, with fast-rising markets such as Oman, Kuwait and Jordan. In India, the strategy is shifting from trade shows to roadshows in major cities such as Delhi and Hyderabad. Europe is scheduled for February–March, focusing on Madrid and Paris due to direct flights. For China, the focus will be higher-spending cities such as Shanghai and surrounding areas including Shenzhen. He also said the association plans its first-ever roadshow in the United States, citing strong US visitor numbers, including more than 100,000 travellers arriving directly in Phuket.

Phuket to host six global events in 2026

Thanet said Phuket has been selected to host a series of global events due to its logistics readiness and direct connectivity from around 50–60 international destinations. The six headline events planned for 2026 are:

Thailand Biennale, Phuket 2025 — an international contemporary art festival running from late November 2025 through April 2026, lasting about five months and showcasing contemporary art linked to Phuket’s Peranakan cultural heritage, across 13 locations, with organisers expecting hundreds of thousands of visitors.

EDC Thailand 2026 (Electric Daisy Carnival) — a major global EDM festival at Rhythm Park on June 16–18, 2026, with organisers expecting close to 100,000 attendees.

NewMa Asia Massage Championship 2026 — an Asian-level competition in massage and physical therapy on June 23–25, 2026.

GSTC 2026 (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) Summit — a global sustainable tourism summit on April 21–24, 2026, with a focus on ESG themes and local life. Thanet said registrations filled quickly, hitting an 800-person cap on the first day, with total participation including followers expected at around 3,000.

InterPride General Meeting & World Conference 2026 — October 26–31, 2026, a major global Pride movement conference bringing together representatives from more than 400 organisations worldwide.

Global Wellness Summit 2026 — November 10–13, 2026, under the theme “The Symphony of Wellness”, positioning Thailand as a leader in the global wellness economy. Thanet said it is expected to attract around 500–800 global wellness business owners and CEOs, with event passes priced at around 200,000 baht per person.

He said these factors underpin expectations that Phuket’s tourism outlook will remain strong into next year.