PHUKET: An official with a leading tour company on Phuket has rejected claims that the Russian market is inclined to ''zero baht'' operations and that Russian visitors tend to be rowdier than most.
Hints in an article in the national press indicated some concerns within the tourism industry about ''one group of guests dominating the hotel scene in Pattaya and Phuket.''
A leading tour company official on Phuket was prepared to talk frankly about the issue, provided his name was not revealed.
It was true that Russian travellers were having a greater impact on numbers of passengers to Phuket, the official said, but Russians actually spent more than their Scandinavian counterparts and he had never seen evidence of ''zero baht'' tours.
''Zero baht'' tours are those where package companies manipulate the activities of tourists to deliver maximum returns to the country from which the tourists come.
The official said the issue raised by TUI Nordic, a leading Scandinavian tour operator - and presumed to point at the Russian market - were not evident on Phuket.
The number of Russians visiting Phuket was increasing, the official said, while Scandinavians were tending to opt to head off Phuket to Phang Nga or Krabi.
''Russians tend to be awake and out on tour or doing other activities, then come back and enjoy the nightlife,'' he said. ''Scandinavians are more inclined to relax by the beach or a resort pool with a good book.
''It's not possible to generalise too broadly because there are of course individuals who do not follow the pattern, but the tendency lately is for Russians to outspend Scandinavians on holidays to Phuket.''
Because of the country's new-found wealth - Russia is said to have more billionaires per head than any other country - Russians tended to stay in all forms of accommodation from one-star to pool villas, and that would be good for Phuket's future, he said.
Phuket Repair Man Being Held on Expat Rape ChargeHints in an article in the national press indicated some concerns within the tourism industry about ''one group of guests dominating the hotel scene in Pattaya and Phuket.''
A leading tour company official on Phuket was prepared to talk frankly about the issue, provided his name was not revealed.
It was true that Russian travellers were having a greater impact on numbers of passengers to Phuket, the official said, but Russians actually spent more than their Scandinavian counterparts and he had never seen evidence of ''zero baht'' tours.
''Zero baht'' tours are those where package companies manipulate the activities of tourists to deliver maximum returns to the country from which the tourists come.
The official said the issue raised by TUI Nordic, a leading Scandinavian tour operator - and presumed to point at the Russian market - were not evident on Phuket.
The number of Russians visiting Phuket was increasing, the official said, while Scandinavians were tending to opt to head off Phuket to Phang Nga or Krabi.
''Russians tend to be awake and out on tour or doing other activities, then come back and enjoy the nightlife,'' he said. ''Scandinavians are more inclined to relax by the beach or a resort pool with a good book.
''It's not possible to generalise too broadly because there are of course individuals who do not follow the pattern, but the tendency lately is for Russians to outspend Scandinavians on holidays to Phuket.''
Because of the country's new-found wealth - Russia is said to have more billionaires per head than any other country - Russians tended to stay in all forms of accommodation from one-star to pool villas, and that would be good for Phuket's future, he said.
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It used to be that the russians where big spenders, sure. But the new reality is that the russians now flocking to Phuket come from places like Siberia, and they come because of newly established direct charter flights, and the tours to come here are extremely cheap. These new russians are DEFINATELY not big spenders. They dont outspend the average scandinavian toursist at all, not by a long shot. The russians from these areas are not very good in english and so they are very much "in the hand" of the tour operator that controls them very well when it comes to shopping, tours etc. This bring big benefits to a few connected businesses and very little to the broader tourism economy.
Posted by christian on June 14, 2011 12:42