PHUKET'S International Boat Show has been a resounding success, managing director Andy Dowden said today as the sun set to close the four-day floating festival.

The show at Royal Phuket Marina attracted about 3500 visitors and resulted in the sale of ''eight or nine'' boats, he said.

''Last time we had the Bangkok airport blockade to contend with so this has to be an improvement,'' he added.

The boat show has broken free for the first time of its connection to the King's Cup Regatta, which is always held in December, and Mr Dowden said next year's Phuket show would again be held in January.

''It has been a wonderful showcase for boating in the region,'' he said. ''It attracts the best on offer from all over. It brings the right products to Phuket, and Phuket needs the right products.''

Mr Dowden said that he ''expects to see growth'' next year, and added that boating and yachting were critical to the island's future.

''Phuket is already a hub these days for Thailand, Burma and the Andamans, even going as far south as Malaysia,'' he said.

''People use Phuket as the base for trips to the nearby islands, so boats are essential to Phuket's future.''

What does Phuket need now?

''A couple more marinas,'' Mr Dowden said. ''The ones we have are full.''

He said some regulations could be simplified to help generate more interest from people with boats of all kinds.

With the Outlet Premium boat show coming up at the retail centre just around the corner from the Royal Phuket Marina from January 23 to February 7, Mr Dowden said he was pleased that someone else was promoting the boating industry.

His only regret was that putting the signage up for the Outlet show before the Pimex Phuket International Boat Show had caused some confusion.

Among high-profile visitors to this year's show was British supermodel Naomi Campbell. Her friend, fellow catwalker Kate Moss, a regular Phuket visitor, is believed to now be jetting back home to Europe's deep winter.

For Phuket the next economic indicator with be Chinese New year, which this year falls at the same time as Valentine's Day, providing an additional peak before what's anticipated to be a long low season.

Reports of ''records'' being achieved in tourism this high season are at odds with official arrival and departure figures at Phuket airport. Yearly arrivals and departures for 2009 total 5,779,918, fractionally up on 2008.

The December 2009 figure was up 37 percent because the December 2008 figure was marred by the blockade.

Experts expect this high season to fall well short of Phuket's record 2007-2008 high season, with overall revenues down by an estimated 20 percent.