Phuket – Asia’s Best Centre For Ocean Travel

Phuket, voted as the Best Asian Maritime Capital 2010, will bring US$306 million revenue by maritime tourists annually and the number will continue to rise, said Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, head of Phuket’s Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

He said Phuket is also deemed as Asia’s best centre for ocean travel surpassing rivals Hong Kong, Singapore, and Italy, according to Thai News Agency on Friday.

Statistics from TAT show that large number of tourists are annually drawn to southern Thailand’s resort island of Phuket including affluent maritime travellers with personal yachts visiting the coastal province dubbed the Pearl of the Andaman.

At a recent Asia Boating Award 2010 in Hong Kong, worldwide sales entrepreneurs and travel buyers voted Phuket as the “Best Asian Maritime Capital”

Bangornrat said: “Phuket is the centre for travellers to easily sail their yacht to other Asian cities, as the marinas here readily provide conveniences to those who sail. The resort island also a a central point that connects with other destinations”.

Meanwhile, Phuket Tourist Association vice-president Bhuritt Maswongssa believes there should be a well-equipped standardised public marina similar to privately-owned facilities to attract more ocean travellers.

“If we have a public marina managed by local authorities like in other countries, management and services fees will become cheaper, and the marina will provide services to more yachts,” said Bhuritt.