“According to reports from 54 of 200 hotels open in Phuket, about 20% of rooms have been booked for weekdays, and more bookings were made for the weekend during the nine days of the festival, from Oct 17-25.” Mr Yuthasak said, reported state news broadcaster MCOT.
“We expect 60,000 tourists and local people to join the festival. Most of the tourists will come from nearby provinces, up to about 300 kilometres from Phuket,” he said.
However, Mr Yuthasak admitted, “The number of tourists from other regions may not be high.”
“We expect the festival to generate more than B350mn [in revenues]. Even though the number cannot be as high as past years, in a situation like this, it will help to stimulate tourism and the economy well,” Mr Yuthasak said.