The Phuket Tourist Association believes that the results so far can be reassuring to the global travel community and a few upcoming changes could allow foreigners to come back in much higher numbers. Russian travellers were a huge demographic before Covid-19 and trade groups are urging the government to approve the Sputnik vaccine to open the Sandbox door to the Russian market to return in October. Another big game-changer is that British citizens currently have to quarantine upon returning to the United Kingdom as Thailand is on its amber list, but that restriction is lifting next Monday. No longer having to isolate after a Phuket holiday will likely see an increase in UK tourists arriving in Thailand.
Estimates by the PTA predict the Phuket Sandbox will see 18,000 travellers in July, 30,000 more in August, and 35,000 in September, bringing third-quarter totals to 83,000 travellers. 12,000 hotel rooms have been booked already, and even accounting for 20% who delayed their travels and 13% who cancelled their bookings that’s still between 8,000 and 9,000 new hotel rooms being filled this quarter. Luxury resorts that were seeing occupancy rates of under 10% are now booking out about 20% of their inventory.
https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/p...-uk-travellers