Figures presented by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office at a provincial meeting showed total arrivals from January to March reached 3,815,511, down 1.93% year-on-year.
The total included 1,074,899 domestic visitors, a marginal decrease of 0.23%, and 2,740,612 international arrivals, down 2.58%.
Tourism revenue for the period totalled B146.13 billion, a decline of 2.18% compared with the same period last year. Of that, foreign visitors contributed B134.87bn (-2.28%), while domestic tourism generated B11.26bn (-0.92%).
Despite the dip, hotel performance remained strong, with average occupancy at 83.39%, down just 1.52% but still considered high by industry standards.
The softer start to 2026 follows a similarly subdued performance last year. Phuket recorded more than 14.12mn visitors in 2025, down 2.68% year-on-year, generating B545.87bn in revenue, a 4.49% decline, reflecting a slowdown driven largely by international markets.
Market composition continues to favour long-haul travellers, with European visitors projected to account for 52.9% of arrivals in early 2026, compared with 39.4% from Asia, underlining continued growth in the European segment.
Air connectivity remains a key focus for recovery efforts. Phuket International Airport has expanded its summer 2026 schedule (April-October), with services linking 71 international destinations across 34 countries operated by 50 airlines, totalling more than 35,000 flights. Domestic connectivity includes 9 routes with over 31,600 flights from six airlines.
New routes are being rolled out to stimulate demand and diversify source markets. These include services from Belarus operated by Belavia, Singapore by Thai Lion Air, Chiang Rai by Thai VietJet, Penang by AirAsia, and Ho Chi Minh City by Vietnam Airlines.
Key inbound markets remain Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom and Australia, while emerging and secondary markets are becoming increasingly important to sustaining growth.
Phuket is also leveraging international events to strengthen its tourism profile, including the Global Sustainable Tourism Conference 2026 and the Baba-Nyonya Wedding Ceremony, aimed at attracting higher-spending visitors.
Tourism officials expect that expanded air links and a packed events calendar will help drive a stronger rebound in the second half of 2026.