PHUKET: Upmarket five-star resorts on Phuket seemed to be ''doing ok'' this high season, Governor Nisit Jansomwong said today. ''Guesthouses, one, two and three-star places are probably not doing as well,'' he added.
When it came to the image that Phuket wanted to project, the governor said, it was up to the people of Phuket as to what kind of Phuket they wanted to show to the world.
He was speaking after Feel Corporation, an entrepreneurial group from Bangkok, yesterday proposed holding a ''mega music festival'' on Phuket's Kata beach in February.
The concept failed to impress the Phuket administrators who were at the meeting with the governor yesterday.
With the National Council for Peace and Order recently clearing all of Phuket's beaches of all commercial activities except jet-skis and parasailers, it was difficult for the people at the meeting to imagine how another exception might be made for private profit-taking on a public beach, unless it could somehow be held in the water.
Memories of the huge levels of resistance to the Sydictive Elements concert of New Year 2012-13 that underperformed in every way appear to differ between Bangkok and Phuket.
To have yet another group of entrepreneurs trying again to use Phuket's beaches to attract an audience for profit surprised many people.
This time around, however, the entrepreneurs at least did Phuket the courtesy of seeking out opinions on the island in a more thorough way than in 2012.
And Bangkok's entrepreneurs have realised that Phuket's peak season is fully booked so trying to attract more people would be futile at New Year because all the rooms have already been taken.
Although the initial pitch was for Kata beach on February 28, those who put the proposal yesterday seem to have not come to terms with how Phuket sees itself moving forward from here.
With portions of some of the most popular beach clubs on the island flattened recently, the notion that Phuket might become a dance music destination appears to not be so obvious any more.
A spokesperson for Feel Corporation said today that the concept of a concert on Phuket was very much still alive, that it was an adaptable idea, that the beach could be changed, and so could the date.
Judging by the mood on Phuket at present, all we can suggest is: someone will get back to you about that.
Governor Nisit said today that trends, like general island opinions, were difficult to chart.
''Five star resorts appear to be doing ok, the diving and snorkelling industry appears to be doing ok, but souvenir shops say they are not doing ok.''
A lot of energy is now being concentrated on the Asian Beach Games, due to begin on November 14.
''We have to look at the right kinds of events for Phuket,'' he said. ''We don't want just any event. Everything that Phuket does needs to be part of the future of sustainable tourism.''
When it came to the image that Phuket wanted to project, the governor said, it was up to the people of Phuket as to what kind of Phuket they wanted to show to the world.
He was speaking after Feel Corporation, an entrepreneurial group from Bangkok, yesterday proposed holding a ''mega music festival'' on Phuket's Kata beach in February.
The concept failed to impress the Phuket administrators who were at the meeting with the governor yesterday.
With the National Council for Peace and Order recently clearing all of Phuket's beaches of all commercial activities except jet-skis and parasailers, it was difficult for the people at the meeting to imagine how another exception might be made for private profit-taking on a public beach, unless it could somehow be held in the water.
Memories of the huge levels of resistance to the Sydictive Elements concert of New Year 2012-13 that underperformed in every way appear to differ between Bangkok and Phuket.
To have yet another group of entrepreneurs trying again to use Phuket's beaches to attract an audience for profit surprised many people.
This time around, however, the entrepreneurs at least did Phuket the courtesy of seeking out opinions on the island in a more thorough way than in 2012.
And Bangkok's entrepreneurs have realised that Phuket's peak season is fully booked so trying to attract more people would be futile at New Year because all the rooms have already been taken.
Although the initial pitch was for Kata beach on February 28, those who put the proposal yesterday seem to have not come to terms with how Phuket sees itself moving forward from here.
With portions of some of the most popular beach clubs on the island flattened recently, the notion that Phuket might become a dance music destination appears to not be so obvious any more.
A spokesperson for Feel Corporation said today that the concept of a concert on Phuket was very much still alive, that it was an adaptable idea, that the beach could be changed, and so could the date.
Judging by the mood on Phuket at present, all we can suggest is: someone will get back to you about that.
Governor Nisit said today that trends, like general island opinions, were difficult to chart.
''Five star resorts appear to be doing ok, the diving and snorkelling industry appears to be doing ok, but souvenir shops say they are not doing ok.''
A lot of energy is now being concentrated on the Asian Beach Games, due to begin on November 14.
''We have to look at the right kinds of events for Phuket,'' he said. ''We don't want just any event. Everything that Phuket does needs to be part of the future of sustainable tourism.''
"Upmarket five-star resorts on Phuket seemed to be ''doing ok'' this high season, Governor Nisit Jansomwong said today. ''Guesthouses, one, two and three-star places are probably not doing as well,'' he added.
Ahhh, the big ones SEEM to be "doing ok", who cares about the others...
But what is this:
"And Bangkok's entrepreneurs have realised that Phuket's peak season is fully booked so trying to attract more people would be futile.."
I've problems understanding this "fully booked" and "''Guesthouses, one, two and three-star places are probably not doing as well,"
Posted by Bregoulou on October 29, 2014 17:52
Editor Comment:
Peak season is the period covering Christmas-New Year. The high season extends either side of the peak season.