The war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia have shattered Thailand’s hopes for a large and uninterrupted flow of Russian tourists. Now the country’s main resort island is looking for a replacement to revive its tourism.
According to the President of the Phuket Tourist Association Bhummikitti Raktaengama, the current situation in the world will inevitably affect not only Thai tourism, but also the world. For example, due to rapid changes in the economy and the steady rise in world oil prices, the cost of travel will increase significantly.
The number of Russian tourists arriving in Phuket has already fallen by a critical 75%, while 3,000 Russian tourists are stranded on the resort island due to international sanctions imposed on Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. According to the Phuket Tourist Association, the geopolitical conflict has already seriously affected the tourism of the resort island. As a result of the cessation of direct flights and closed airspace, the number of Russians fell sharply.
Russian tourists who arrived in Thailand in February-early March can not fly home, and now signal their plight. The problem is not only the lack of any flights to Russia, but also the fact that stuck travelers can not use their bank cards to heat food and hotel, as many Russian banks have been cut off from the interbank messaging system SWIFT and now most Thai commercial banks do not support Visa and MasterCard cards issued in Russia.
The head of the association added that if the situation in Ukraine does not end in peace in the near future, it will directly affect tourism in Thailand and around the world. Tourists will prefer other options for recreation, as more expensive oil will negatively affect fuel prices, and hence the tickets, which are a solid part of the package tour for tourists. The bleak prospect will force Thais to resume tourism with tourists from other countries such as Australia, India and the Middle East.
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