Mr Jaturon yesterday led a meeting at the Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town organised by the Andaman branch of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) so that local tourism business operators could voice their concerns and grievances.
Wirintra Paphakityotphat, head of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) Region 11 branch, which includes Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, explained that the TCT had submitted a letter of request to the Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, on Sept 29 in order to solve the problem of economic inequality and promote tourism within Phuket Province.
The letter detailed three important issues, said an official report of the meeting.
First, a ‘Community Marina’ was proposed for fisheries and tourism businesses to be connected to each other and to support community tourism, and to help to provide another option for passenger transportation via sea in order to help reduce traffic congestion in Phuket
The second issue was the quality of life of Phuket people, and the third issue was ’mega-events’ held during Songkran, including Phuket Bike Week International 2024, which the TCT wants to be a magnet for attracting additional tourists to the island from April 13-20, 2024.
Kritsada Pichetphongsanon President of the Phuket Marine Tourism Business Association, said that “main problem” for maritime operators right now is the problem of price competition on the supply side.
He said local operators want the relevant agencies to control and supervise the situation, and establish a committee to control the “median price” so that small- and medium-sized marine operators can continue to do business.
Mr Jaturon heard a wide range of issues tourism and tourism-related businesses in Phuket are currently facing.
“All problems discussed today including the problem of price competition on the supply side, economic inequality, tourism promotion guidelines, preparation for sea tourism, overall preparation of entrepreneurs, setting up a tourism fund, checkpoint problems along the Southern border, training to increase knowledge for groups of tour guides and legal problems with small hotels, will be presented to the relevant agencies to integrate and solve them,” he said.
“Along with guidelines for establishing a special economic zone for Andaman tourism in order to raise the potential of the southern Andaman provinces towards sustainable tourism,” he added.
“The Department of Tourism is in the middle of a brainstorming meeting with all relevant sectors. If it is truly possible to push for a special economic zone for tourism, every problem presented by business operators in the southern Andaman region will have a solution that is convenient and quick. Exceptions can occur in enforcing the law in many areas,” Jaturon said.
At the meeting, it was recognised that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set a goal of more than 28 million tourists entering the country by the end of 2023, generating more than B2.1 trillion for the national economy.
“From Jan 1 to Oct 30 this year, Thailand has received more than 22mn foreign tourists, which has the opportunity to meet the target,” said the official report.