The 60 delegates in total will arrive in Phuket tomorrow and stay until Monday (Nov 16).
The visit has been organised by the Phuket City Development (PKCD) consortium of Phuket-based companies in collaboration with the Phuket Tourist Association.
The visit was officially announced at the PKCD offices at the Baan & Beyond mall on the bypass road yesterday (Nov 12).
Present to announce the visit top executives from the PKCD, along with Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong and Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) President Bhummikitti Ruktaengam. Also present was Narong Promjitta, representing the Southern Region chapter of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
The Ambassadors and country representatives invited to join the visit are from the countries that formed the top 10 source markets for tourists to Phuket in 2019, Mr Bhummikitti explained at the event.
During the visit, the delegates take part in tourism activities. This will help to create a favourable tourism image of the island to build confidence among both Thai and foreign tourists, he added.
“This project hopes to revive and stimulate the economy and create awareness of the Phuket tourism situation,” Mr Bhummikitti said.
“Their trip will include touring attractions and listening to lectures on the Special Tourist Visa (STV) measures, and to review the screening procedures at the airport,” he explained.
“Representatives from each embassy will communicate back to their own country about the re-opening of Phuket tourism,” Mr Bhummikitti said.
“This project is also expected to boost employment and incomes in Phuket by attracting Thai and foreign tourists,” he concluded.
A release by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department of Thailand (PR Phuket) admitted the severity of the impact the COVID crisis has has on Phuket.
“Due to the situation of the COVID-19 outbreak in Thailand and effectively controlling the epidemic, the future of Phuket’s tourism industry is still in crisis,” the release said.
“Phuket’s tourism industry relies on foreign tourists, so while this situation continues, it will affect the survival of the tourism industry of Phuket province.
“At this time, foreign tourists from abroad are still unable to travel [directly] to Phuket. Right now, Phuket’s major customer groups are domestic travelers which are Thai citizens.
“But expats who work and live in Thailand are important target groups to increase and boost the economy of Phuket. As well as that, it is an important to show confidence in the tourism in Phuket,” the release noted.