“From an initial survey, it is expected that there will be more than 600,000 tourists coming to the area, generating more than B9bn in income,” TAT Phuket Director Lertchai Wangtrakuldee said.
The figures given presume B15,000 spent by each tourist coming to Phuket for the nine-day festival, which starts on Sunday (Oct 15) and continues through to Oct 23.
“And now it is known that some hotels in the city near the Clocktower Circle have adjusted room rates higher, and there are still people booking to stay with occupancy at 80-90%,” Mr Lertchai continued.
“This is one thing that can indicate that the tradition of observing precepts and eating vegetables in Phuket can create income for Phuket residents,” he said.
“The TAT has communicated to around the world in both Thai and English regarding the beliefs of Phuket people with the tradition of observing precepts and eating vegetables in Phuket Province,” Mr Lertchai explained, according to an official report.
“Documents have been prepared for download about the holiness of the gods, showing the various routes of the shrines [processions] in Phuket Province and wanting people who come to visit to know the history of the tradition of observing precepts and eating vegetables,” he said.
“TAT Phuket in collaboration with Limelight Avenue Phuket Shopping Center has organised an exhibition of every aspect of the festival’s tradition of eating vegetables, from vegetarian food to setting the altars and so on, so that people from other provinces and tourists [sic] can come to see the tradition exhibition and gain real experience during the event,” he continued, promoting the commercial shopping centre’s role in the festival.
The TAT Phuket office is also holding a campaign to provide shrines with environmentally friendly food boxes that are naturally biodegradable, he added.
“The TAT invites Thai and foreign tourists to join in the merit-making ceremony at various shrines and watch the processions of various shrine icon images this year,” Mr Lertchai concluded.