Phuket tourism operators fret over climate change

Phuket tourism operators are worried about the impact of climate change, resulting in severe weather and flooding in Thailand as well as tourist source markets.
Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said flooding in Phuket is now an annual event in the same areas, ravaging Kata, Karon and Kamala this year.
He said a few months ago, landslides from severe rainfall occurred in Kata and Karon, leading to the deaths of foreigners. Last week, water submerged portions of roads in the Kamala area.
Even though such incidents might not significantly affect tourists’ decisions to travel to Phuket, they cause inconvenience and traffic jams, said Mr Thaneth.
“I still haven’t seen any attempt by the central government to redevelop Phuket’s water management or urban infrastructure,” he said.
This year Phuket projects 500 billion baht in tourism revenue, exceeding the pre-pandemic period, but infrastructure maintenance has been unable to keep pace with growing tourist arrivals, said Mr Thaneth.
Virintra Papakityotsaphat, president of the Tourism Council of Phuket, said natural disasters stemming from climate change are a crucial risk for the tourism industry.
She said because natural disasters and severe weather are unavoidable, the government should focus on regulation and preparing infrastructure to cope with these events.
This includes strict regulation of illegal construction in prohibited areas that block floodways or water retention areas.
Last month Hurricane Helene struck, while Hurricane Milton slammed Florida this week, leaving over a million people without power, while airlines cancelled flights.
Mrs Virintra said these incidents could discourage tourists from travelling abroad, particularly during the peak season for long-haul travel to Thailand.
However, it should not significantly impact Phuket tourism, as the island has other markets such as Russia, Europe, India and China, she said.
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, deputy governor for marketing in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said there are no reports of US tourists left stranded in Thailand because of flight cancellations.
However, some tourists who already booked their trips but cannot travel might delay their plans until after the situation eases, he said.
Recent natural disasters should only affect the US market in the short term, said Mr Siripakorn. The TAT is still confident of at least 1 million US visitors this year, he said.
The agency said it is intensifying its focus on promoting Thailand as a preferred destination for eco-friendly and low-carbon tourism.