PHUKET: Phuket's major tourism issues - tuk-tuk fares, jet-ski scams, airport congestion and Immigration queues - should be resolved before the high season starts for the island on December 1, an industry leader has urged.
The Phuket-based chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism, Tunyaratt Achariyachai, also suggested some fresh ideas for improving Phuket's appeal - and backed a call for a single authority to manage and protect all of Phuket's beaches.
''All the stakeholders must unite to deal with these key issues,'' Senator Tunyaratt said. ''It will take cooperation to get Phuket right quickly.
''And at present nobody seems to know who is in charge when it comes to Phuket's environmental issues, especially the beaches.''
The plain-speaking senator said that Phuket had been fortunate that the low season continued to produce a steady stream of arrivals. But with 3000 extra resort rooms now on-stream, demand was not keeping up with supply.
''The big brands are doing much better than the smaller three-stars and guesthouses,'' she said. ''If you are coming to Phuket and not sure about the chicken, you are going to go to KFC.''
She said that if Phuket wanted to improve the quality of visitors so that more A-grade tourists chose Phuket, then the appeal of the island and its service standards also needed to be A-grade.
Senator Tunyaratt suggested that Patong beach could easily be improved. ''The beach is three kilometres long,'' she said.
''It shouldn't be too hard to have three zones, one kilometre free from beach lounges, another kilometre for those who want lounges, and a third zone for jet-skis and paragliders. That way, when people come to the beach, they have a choice.''
Senator Tunyaratt said she did not want to prevent local Phket people making money but their business objectives had to take into account Phuket's long-term attractions as a tourist destination.
''If we don't come together, we will all lose out in the end,'' she said.
The Tourism and Sport Ministry should be separated and improved, she said. Tourism was not well served by the present low-key and low-budget operation based at Surakul Sports Stadium.
Phuket was an important asset for Thailand and deserved a stand-alone Tourism Ministry presence, she said.
Although Phuket had many authorities, beach protection appeared to be nobody's responsibility, she said: ''Nobody appears to be in charge when it comes to bad water and beach conservation and protection.''
The senator urged acceptance of the Phuketwan proposal for one body to take control of all Phuket beaches.
To bring the number of rooms on Phuket in line with demand, Senator Tunyaratt urged banks to stop lending developers money for more resorts. She also said more thorough environmental safeguards and checks would help to slow the rate of construction of new resorts.
''The environment of Phuket would benefit too,'' she said.
The Phuket-based chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism, Tunyaratt Achariyachai, also suggested some fresh ideas for improving Phuket's appeal - and backed a call for a single authority to manage and protect all of Phuket's beaches.
''All the stakeholders must unite to deal with these key issues,'' Senator Tunyaratt said. ''It will take cooperation to get Phuket right quickly.
''And at present nobody seems to know who is in charge when it comes to Phuket's environmental issues, especially the beaches.''
The plain-speaking senator said that Phuket had been fortunate that the low season continued to produce a steady stream of arrivals. But with 3000 extra resort rooms now on-stream, demand was not keeping up with supply.
''The big brands are doing much better than the smaller three-stars and guesthouses,'' she said. ''If you are coming to Phuket and not sure about the chicken, you are going to go to KFC.''
She said that if Phuket wanted to improve the quality of visitors so that more A-grade tourists chose Phuket, then the appeal of the island and its service standards also needed to be A-grade.
Senator Tunyaratt suggested that Patong beach could easily be improved. ''The beach is three kilometres long,'' she said.
''It shouldn't be too hard to have three zones, one kilometre free from beach lounges, another kilometre for those who want lounges, and a third zone for jet-skis and paragliders. That way, when people come to the beach, they have a choice.''
Senator Tunyaratt said she did not want to prevent local Phket people making money but their business objectives had to take into account Phuket's long-term attractions as a tourist destination.
''If we don't come together, we will all lose out in the end,'' she said.
The Tourism and Sport Ministry should be separated and improved, she said. Tourism was not well served by the present low-key and low-budget operation based at Surakul Sports Stadium.
Phuket was an important asset for Thailand and deserved a stand-alone Tourism Ministry presence, she said.
Although Phuket had many authorities, beach protection appeared to be nobody's responsibility, she said: ''Nobody appears to be in charge when it comes to bad water and beach conservation and protection.''
The senator urged acceptance of the Phuketwan proposal for one body to take control of all Phuket beaches.
To bring the number of rooms on Phuket in line with demand, Senator Tunyaratt urged banks to stop lending developers money for more resorts. She also said more thorough environmental safeguards and checks would help to slow the rate of construction of new resorts.
''The environment of Phuket would benefit too,'' she said.
The Phuket-based chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism, Tunyaratt Achariyachai, want to fix all Phuket problems in 3 weeks when in 10 years nothing have been happening!
Thousands of meetings have been done since age with nothing in action...so wait and see attitude will prevail first....
Most of businesspeople will applaud if something positive will sort out of the Pandora's Box but a dream is still a dream......
Posted by Whistle-Blower on October 9, 2011 19:32
Editor Comment:
December 1, Whistle-Blower, not November 1. The more influential people who call for change the better, however long it takes.