Having recently been crowned the “world’s most overcrowded tourism destination”, Phuket must now work towards more sustainable solutions, according to digital travel magazine, Travel and Tour World.
The numbers are alarming, says TTW, with tourists outnumbering the island’s residents by 118 to 1.
“While Phuket is renowned for beautiful beaches, temples, and lively nightspots like Patong, the infrastructure simply can’t cope with the surge in visitors seen since the end of the pandemic.”
“It’s true that the island’s economy, left in tatters by Covid-19, desperately needed a revival injection, but Phuket’s infrastructure and environment is now paying the price. Tourists, desperate to travel once more, after years of being unable to do so, arrived en masse – not just to Phuket, but other Thai destinations such as Pattaya and Krabi – and this has created severe overcrowding.”
Phuket’s road, water supplies, and waste management systems have proven that they simply cannot cope with the influx, according to TTW, and there is a risk that unless these issues are addressed, it will have a negative impact on Phuket’s status as a top tourism destination.
Whilst island officials are quick to jump on positive news about Phuket’s tourism attractions and arrival numbers, they seem reticent to address the urgent action needed to solve critical infrastructure, traffic and flooding problems.
And the re-emergence of a proposed 300 baht “tourism fee” is expected to do little to solve the problem, which will require finely balancing a robust tourism sector and strong economic growth with environmental protection and efficient infrastructure.
(We note that tourists have been paying a departure tax in Thailand, absorbed in their airfares, for nearly 2 decades)
According to the TTW report, Phuket needs long-term, wide-ranging solutions to preserve its natural beauty and reputation as one of the best travel destinations in the world.
SOURCE: Travel and Tour World
