Phuket prepares to reopen for non-quarantine travel in July

BANGKOK: Starting July 1, international tourists will be able to visit Phuket in southern Thailand without going through quarantine if they have been vaccinated.

The decision was announced last week by the Center for the Management of the Economic Situation, following a proposal from Phuket’s private sector after nearly a year of economic problems due to the pandemic.

“There should be no quarantine because tourism and quarantine do not go hand in hand,” Phuket Tourism Association President Bhummikitti Ruktaengam told CNA.

“And to eliminate the quarantine, we need the vaccine.”

The popular tourist island relies heavily on international tourists. In 2019, they accounted for 73 percent of the total 14.55 million visitors, according to data from the Phuket Provincial Statistical Office. This means that when the government banned international commercial flights last April to control the pandemic, Phuket was hit hard.

The unspoiled beaches of the island are now almost empty despite the high season. Many restaurants and bars are closed, while hotels and resorts are experiencing a decline in bookings. However, this could change in the coming months.

Many business operators in Phuket have already started calling employees and banks have also started making loans, Bhummikitti said.

“Of course, the number of tourists may not be as high as in 2019 or the years before, but I think this will be a start. Everyone understands that during the initial period, international arrivals may not be overwhelming. Still, we are confident that if we can reopen in July, the outlook should be very good from October on, ”he added.

As the province prepares to welcome overseas travelers, a plan has been drawn up to vaccinate 70 percent of its residents against COVID-19. The Phuket Provincial Administration has set a goal of procuring 933,174 doses of government vaccine for 466,587 people, including local residents and migrant workers.

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PHUKET SANDBOX MODEL

Phuket’s reopening will be used as a test to assess international tourism demand, as well as Thailand’s readiness to unlock more areas for foreign travelers later this year.

According to the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supasorn, the southern island was chosen to pioneer the quarantine-free tourism model due to its willingness, heavy reliance on international tourists, and geographic insularity.

It is also one of the preferred destinations among foreign travelers besides Bangkok, Samui, Krabi, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chiang Mai, Yuthasak said at a press conference on March 26, citing a TAT poll.

“For the long distance markets, I can say that Thailand is the main destination of all of them,” he told reporters, referring to the Scandinavian countries, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

The same applies to short-haul markets such as China, India, Southeast Asian countries, Hong Kong, and South Korea, which also make Thailand a destination to visit. Respondents also stated that they would rather travel to Thailand in 2021 than 2022.

The “Phuket sandbox” quarantine-free tourism model requires international visitors to complete their COVID-19 vaccine in their country and present proof upon arrival in Phuket starting in July, along with a certificate showing negative test results. COVID-19 obtained before flying to Thailand.

They will also need to download the ThailandPlus mobile app to track them during their stay.

While visitors can enter Phuket, they will also need to consider potential travel restrictions on round-trip travel in their home country, as well as the likely need to go through some form of quarantine when they return.

According to Yuthasak, the majority of surveyed international leisure travelers would choose to visit areas that have carried out the vaccination program and do not require quarantine.

For Phuket, its proposed vaccine procurement plan is divided into several periods from March to October. Nine vaccination points will be established around the island to ensure its residents are safe from COVID-19, its Public Relations Office reported.

Phuket’s sandbox model is part of the Thai government’s plan to boost the country’s economy. In February, the National Council for Economic and Social Development predicted a 3% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) this year. However, his secretary general, Danucha Pichayanan, said last week that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha wants all sectors to push for a 4 percent expansion.

In the third quarter of 2021, Phuket’s tourism industry expects to receive international tourists from short-haul destinations such as the Middle East, Singapore, Hong Kong and some provinces in China.

However, Bhummikitti from the Phuket Tourism Association said the outcome of the plan also depends on negotiations between the Thai government and its counterparts at destination destinations.

“Everyone understands that during the initial period, international tourists will not only arrive in droves. Still, we are confident that if we can reopen in July, the outlook should be very good from October on, ”he said.

“In the fourth quarter of this year, tourism demand in Europe should be stronger than usual because we believe that many people would want to leave their countries and travel, as by then they would have been suppressed for two years.”

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“WE WANT THAILAND TO BE ON THEIR MINDS”

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Thailand generated approximately $ 96 billion from approximately 39.8 million international tourists in 2019, according to Yuthasak, the governor of TAT.

Last year, he said the country only received about 6.7 million foreign travelers, the lowest number ever recorded, and generated just over $ 26 billion or about 73% less than the previous year.

“It not only caused a loss of income, but it also affected employment, as the tourism industry contributed almost 20 percent of the country’s GDP. When people cannot travel or meet, major cities that rely heavily on tourism such as Phuket, Samui, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Phang Nga have felt the repercussions like never before, ”Yuthasak told CNA.

Since last year, the government has been trying to bring back foreign tourists through tourist incentives like the Special Tourist Visa and reduced quarantine periods.

Starting Thursday (April 1), international visitors to certain destinations in Thailand will only need to be quarantined at their hotels and designated areas for seven days instead of 14 days if they have completed their COVID-19 vaccination and show results. negative in tests. Destinations include Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Samui, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai.

Then on July 1, the quarantine-free tourism model begins in Phuket before expanding to cover the aforementioned provinces in October.

“By welcoming tourists, we don’t expect a large number of them to come. It’s more about building trust and making them think about Thailand because we don’t know when they will be able to travel, ”Yuthasak said.

“But when their countries allow them to travel abroad, we want Thailand to be on their minds as one of the preferred destinations.”

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