FLIGHTS from Iran direct to Phuket are to begin later this month as the island's holiday tourist arrival numbers continue to boom.

The once-a-week flights on Mahan Air, Iran's first private airline, start on March 18 and will carry a total of 1300 visitors to Phuket in March alone. Four more flights are scheduled for April.

Dubai-based Tourism Authority of Thailand director Pramot Subyen said that the flights from the capital of Tehran were a further indication that travellers from the Middle East would continue to come to Phuket in greater numbers.

The total of Middle East visitors to Thailand in 2009 was 117,520, a rise of 32.80 percent over 2008.

January was a record month for arrivals and departures at Phuket airport, and February looks likely also to be a new high.

While visitor numbers are up, delays at the Immigration entry point are a concern when two or more flights arrive close together.

Resort room rates, discounted for the global recession, are unlikely to return to the levels of the record high season of 2007-2008 for at least six months or more.

The ITB Berlin tour trade event next week in Germany, Europe's largest and most important travel industry gathering, is likely to bring more deals and a boost for Phuket extending into 2011.