Thai tour operators were not ready for a sudden influx of Russian tourists to Phuket, who literally swept the island. This happened after Russia resumed direct flights at the end of October, followed by charter flights in November. According to Phuket Express, in the first 10 days of November, Russian tourists made up the largest group of tourists in Phuket: 18'370 out of 75'247 international arrivals.
The statement that Thailand was not ready for such a massive demand, Sisdivachr Chivarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said. What exactly was expressed by “unpreparedness”, however, is unclear. At the same time, about 24 thousand Russian tourists arrived in Phuket in January, and then decreased to 2.4-3.4 thousand per month, primarily due to air sanctions.
However, by the winter season, things went smoothly: from Moscow to Thailand was the first to start a charter flight of the Ikar airline, which arrived on October 30. At the same time, Aeroflot resumed flights to the resort. In the future, there is also the opening of Aeroflot flights from Vladivostok, S7 from Irkutsk, as well as charters. In 2022, the country plans to receive 1 million Russian tourists.
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