Kinesiske myndigheter har nå og tidligere både advart mot sikkerheten for turister og bedt om forbedringer, i tillegg er det i kinesiske sosiale medier sterk kritikk mot Phuket angående sikkerhet.
For turismen i Phuket hvor de i så stor grad har gjort seg avhengige av det kinesiske markedet vil nedgang i ankomne turister derfra få enorme konsekvenser. 40% av internasjonale ankomster på Phuket flyplass er fra Kina.
I tillegg til nevnte kanselleringer har det vært en nedgang nå i bestillinger på hotell fra kinesiske turister på opp til 70%. Denne nedgangen vil representere et estimert tap på 42 milliarder Baht av årlig omsetning på 350 milliarder Baht.
Slike tap som turismen på Phuket nå står ovenfor er alvorlig og det er ikke tvil om at omdømmet som destinasjon er i fare. Thailand har lagt alt for mye av satsingen på turisme mot et marked og tidligere markeder er forlatt. I større grad har vestlige turister forlatt Phuket. Kinesere, russere, indere og folk fra Midt-Østen ser ut til å være i flertall der tidligere spesielt Europeere var tilstede.
Europeiske turister er også lengre på destinasjonene. I 2017 var gjennomsnittsbesøket for reisende fra Britiske reisende på 18 dager mot 8 dager for kinesiske turister i 2015. Lengden på oppholdet for kinesiske turister går visstnok ned.
15% of Phuket’s advanced bookings cancelled
“About 15% of advance rooms booking have been canceled. Chinese tourists are not confident in Phuket safety at the moment. The Chinese government has also made announcements about tourism safety in Phuket and Thailand.”
Comment: Will the Blame Game result in a Chinese Phuket tourism boycott?
As the death toll climbs past a reported 40 from the recent sinking of a tourist boat in Phang Nga Bay, social media in Mainland China is creating a hailstorm of negative criticism about Phuket.
For Phuket, Mainland Chinese tourists are edging close to 40% of international arrivals, as Q1 year-on-year growth surged by 50%. There is little doubt that the island’s tourism market has become overly reliant on a mono-market and the reality that the numbers game may have a dark side, is coming home to roost.
Safety and security of tourists should be one of the highest priorities for the industry and understanding our customers who, despite not appearing in Thai or English media news, are clearly in crisis and cannot be ignored.
Authorities battle to contain the fallout of ‘Phoenix’ disaster
“…hotel bookings in Phuket by Chinese tourists in the next two months had shrunk by up to 70 percent.”
Chinese tourists are cancelling Phuket hotel bookings, unnerving Thai authorities and tourism-related business who are scrambling to raise the image of the island’s battered safety reputation. The cancellations are coming mostly from the tour company businesses based in China whilst the FIT (Free and Independent Travellers) are showing lingering confidence whilst the island’s systemic safety problems continue to be discussed.
The Transport Ministry, local and senior government agencies are working frantically to plug public safety loopholes to restore the confidence of Chinese tourists in wake of the cancellations of hotel bookings following the July 5 sinking of the boat ‘Phoenix’ which left 47 Chinese dead. The entire crew and Captain survived the ordeal with survivors telling tales of Thai crew members abandoning the passengers remaining inside the boat and heading for the life rafts.
Mr Chaiya Rapee-arphol, president of Andaman Tourism Business Association, is painting a much more gloomy picture of tourism business in the popular resort island, saying that hotel bookings in Phuket by Chinese tourists in the next two months had shrunk by up to 70 percent, with estimated loss in revenue in the tune of 42 billion baht from about 350 billion baht in revenue each year.
