In desperate need to revive its economic lifeline, tourism, a program dubbed the “Phuket sandbox” has reopened the popular tourist destination in Thailand to fully vaccinated visitors.
Many local hotels are publicizing promotions and the local hospitality community has collaborated on a social media marketing program called Welcome Back Home, using local people in images and a video campaign to encourage visitation.
With multiple restrictions and requirements attached to the opportunity to visit, tourists on Phuket will be able to roam the entire island, but not travel to other parts of the country for 14 days. The program is open to visitors from 63 countries, including the U.S., and three territories rated by Thailand as a low or medium risk for COVID-19.
Adult foreign visitors must provide proof of two vaccinations, a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before departure and proof of an insurance policy that covers treatment for the virus of at least US$100,000. Visitors will also have to follow mask and distancing regulations and take three COVID-19 tests at their own expense and show negative results. In addition, the government announced this week that if 90 new virus cases are reported per week in Phuket it would impose additional restrictions.
After 14 days, visitors are free to travel further in Thailand without other restrictions. In preparation, some 70% of Phuket’s residents have had at least one vaccine dose. In addition, all hospitality-related workers have been fully vaccinated.
Tourism was thriving in Phuket before COVID-19 but has dropped off a cliff since. For the first five months of 2021, there have been fewer than a half million visitors, and 90% of those were domestic.
With the “Sandbox” program, international arrivals are already coming from destinations such as Qatar, Israel and Singapore.
With the post-COVID quest for increased emphasis on wellbeing and sustainability, Banyan Tree Group is marketing its Safe Sanctuary in Laguna Phuket with experiential offerings at its Banyan Tree Phuket, Angsana Laguna Phuket and Cassia Phuket resorts.
“We know that Phuket is on top of every one’s bucket list. There is no better destination than Laguna Phuket given our variety of offerings from beach to lagoon and dining to accommodation options,” said Ravi Chandran, executive vice president of Banyan Tree Group and managing director of Laguna Phuket. “Working closely with government partners and accredited with Thailand’s Safety and Health Administration Plus certifications, we have been at the front of ensuring our integrated destination is the Number One choice for leisure travelers wanting to balance discovery and security.”
Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket has officially welcomed its first international guests as part of the Sandbox program, it reported. A Dutch national flying to Phuket from Singapore just arrived for a two-week vacation at the property. Hotel management said reservations on the books in July stand at approximately 40% occupancy.
Dusit International Group CEO Suphajee Suthumpun said, “Collaboration and the sharing of ideas will be essential to the success of this project, and we will continue to work closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and others so we can learn together, progress together, and all prepare for a strong high season to come.”
In total, Phuket is home to 1,389 SHA Plus+ certified establishments and 882 hotels have received certification. The TAT expects between 400 to 500 international travelers to arrive in Phuket on July 1 and the number of international arrivals in Phuket is expected to be around 129,000 within July to September, rising from Q4 onwards, according to Dusit International.
“It’s important to remember that this is a pilot project, so there is still some learning to do before we attract very high numbers of international travelers to the island,” Suthumpun added. “The most important thing is that we have now started our journey to recovery, and we will continue to do everything we can to provide assistance and assurance to our guests so they fully understand how the Phuket Sandbox model works and can travel to and stay at our resort with utmost peace of mind.”