Ratchadaphon O-in, head of the Phuket office of the Ministry Tourism & Sports, said that on average a total of 40,000 to 50,000 domestic and international passengers have passed through Phuket International Airport each day since the long weekend for Dec 9-11 began.
The average occupancy rate on the island was 85.32%, Ms Ratchadaphon said.
During the same period in 2019, occupancy was still at 75%, she added.
Ms Ratchadaphon noted that Phuket was on target to reach its target of 9 million tourists this year.
“The island is bustling with tourists. It’s not just the tourist attractions around the beach that are crowded with tourists, but also includes tourist attractions in the city such as in the Phuket Old Town area, including the Chartered Bank Intersection, Thalang Rd and Soi Rommanee,” Ms Ratchadaphon said.
“There are both Thai and foreign tourists who come to take photos of the beauty of the Sino-European architecture of the buildings, and they are constantly looking to buy souvenirs during the long holiday,” she said.
Ms Ratchadaphon also noted that Phuket Carnival in Patong had played a key role in attracting tourists to the island.
“That has received a lot of attention from both Thai and foreign tourists,” she said.