Phuket and Samui Enjoy Increase in Visitor Arrivals in 2013

According to new research by consulting firm C9 Hotelworks, international passenger arrivals to Phuket rose 26% in 2013, while Samui shot up 37% in year-on-year growth.

Looking inside the numbers the emerging markets of Mainland China and Russia are key drivers of demand, with each posting gains into Phuket at 67% and 41% last year respectively.

C9's Managing Director Bill Barnett said, "Phuket and Samui have been broadly insulated from the situation in the nation's capital, as overseas flight traffic remains on an upward path. Phuket's occupancy last year was 74% with Samui closely following with 73%. More importantly the latter saw a record high 1.7 million visitors in 2013, with 88% of these coming internationally."

C9's research has pinpointed airlift as main component of sustainable tourism growth to Thailand's resort markets noting that Samui's private airport limitation on stated capacity has been bypassed with the nearby international aviation facility in Surat Thani.

Over the past two years, annualized passenger arrivals have increased by 38% and 32%, boosted by a combination of domestic and direct overseas fights.

"Looking skyward remains the most prolific economic gauge for Phuket and Samui," added Barnett, commenting on the trading horizon for the remainder of 2014. "Feedback from hotels remains positive given the dynamics of a shorter term booking horizon. Historical trading trends have shown the potential to claw back any lost business due to external events within a compressed time period."