Renewed tourism marketing has remained a primary concern for local leaders since the 29-31 August shutdown of Phuket International Airport by anti-government protesters from the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). In the wake of the airport closure and international news reports about political unrest in Thailand, national and local leaders have met with several groups to gather data and to formulate plans. The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on 19 September announced a new plan to rebuild confidence in Phuket as a favoured tourist destination, the first coordinated effort to address negative impact on Phuket’s image as a result of the protests.

The number of inbound passengers has dropped since the protest, Wing Commander Vicha Nernlop, director of Phuket International Airport, explained at a press conference on 23 September. Khun Nernlop also announced several promotions designed to heighten Phuket’s visibility as a popular tourist destination. Officials had expected to celebrate the arrival of the six millionth passenger of 2008 at the airport around this time of the year, but with the drop in incoming passengers, festivities to honour that landmark are now expected in December.

“Recently all flights are coming back to Phuket that were originally scheduled,” Nernlop said. “But if we compare the number of people between this year and last year, we see that the numbers are down around 30 percent, and flights have decreased around 20 percent. That’s going to affect the low season period, and it’s an effect from the world economic situation as well as from fuel prices and gold prices.”

Beginning during the Vegetarian Festival 30 September-2 October, the airport will promote Phuket tourism, beginning with a welcome sign featuring the festival mascot and Chinese lion dancers. The airport will celebrate its 20th anniversary 6-8 October. And from October to December, the airport will sponsor lucky draws three times per month to give prizes supplied by airlines to passengers using the airport.

“I believe that the activities which we will arrange will attract passengers to come to visit Phuket again,” Nernlop said. “We also will improve the facilities at the airport to be more convenient for tourists, such as adding more air conditioning and fixing and improving the restrooms and the parking lots for buses that come to pick up tour groups, as well as adding more closed-circuit TVs for security. We want to be ready to welcome tourists who come to visit Phuket in this high season.”

At the 19 September meeting in the OrBorJor offices, OrBorJor President Paiboon Upattising was joined by Anoma Wongyai, assistant director of the TAT’s regional office, and Somboon Jirayus, president of the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA), to detail plans for promotional road shows in Malaysia, Singapore and China. Restoring trust, they said, is the primary aim.

“After the situation of PAD’s blocking the airport, tourists are not confident about the safety and security of Phuket, and that has caused tour groups to cancel room reservations and flights, as with groups from Korea China,” Khun Paiboon said. “For road shows, we will arrange stops in Malaysia and Singapore on 21-24 September and in China sometime in November to inform people about the recent situation in Phuket so tourists know that right now we don’t have the protest situation again. This is to encourage tourists who are making a decision to choose a place for leisure or a holiday during this coming high season. We want them to come back to Phuket because Bali and other destinations they might visit will replace Phuket if we do nothing.”

Khun Somboon said that the PTA has had discussions with tourism organizations and businesses, as well as the Thai Hotels Association.

“The important thing is that we should try to promote to people in countries where the government issued an advisory and explain that we don’t have the situation anymore,” he said. “We should include invitations to the ambassadors in those countries to visit Phuket and get a sense of the real situation here, to encourage people to return to travelling to Phuket.”

Khun Anoma said that after the political situation stabilized, the TAT has reported the real situation to tour agencies and international media, as well as online media. The TAT plans activities to promote tourism, inviting tour agencies on a “mega fam” regional familiarization tour from 9-11 October. In addition, she said, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport sent invitation letters to the ambassadors for a special visit from 2-4 October.

“These activities are things that we can use to present our country,” she said. “We can present that Phuket is safe, and hopefully that will make travellers confident and interested in coming back to visit Phuket again.”