The suspension of services by Shanghai Airlines and China Eastern Airlines cancellation may only be for six months – in other words they could be back for the high season. Thereafter the Chinese market will be open to huge opportunities for Phuket-based hotel operators, to attract planeloads of Chinese from Shanghai, the ‘New York of the East’.

Shanghai Airlines had earlier planned to offer three flights a week to Phuket on a charter basis starting from 30 April before upgrading the services to regular scheduled flights. They discontinued this proposed arrangement soon after the temporary airport shutdown. It has continued to operate flights through Bangkok only.

China Eastern had agreed to start three flights a week on the same route on a non-scheduled basis from 13 May.

The two Chinese carriers were the first foreign airlines known to have changed their plans in response to the latest political upheaval.

This action just underscores the urgent need for Phuket hoteliers and travel industry operators to pull together more, to market the island in the off season.

This was the reasoning behind a recent meeting called by some energetic Phuket hotel operators, to try and debunk the myth that Phuket can’t be visited in the low season, because of rain, high seas etc.

The ‘Phuket Summer Season Sun and Fun’ campaign from April to November is designed to raise awareness amongst travel agents and operators offshore, particularly in Europe, that Phuket is both safe to visit and also enjoyable to holiday in, even if there’s a little bit of rain during this period. The website to visit is: www.summerinphuket.com

The fact is that Phuket also has a lot of rain-free days during the summer season. Activities like sightseeing, playing golf, shopping and, well, drinking, can be undertaken without inconvenience.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand expects Chinese arrivals, which have plunged by 80% due to the latest political turmoil, to return over the next three months. Last year, 800,000 people from China visited Thailand.

Photos from Wikipedia.org

By Alastair Carthew, a Phuket based writer and communications advisor.
Email: alastaircarthew@gmail.com