Phuket gunning for six million visitors

PHUKET is expected to attract six million visitors this year, up from 2009’s 5.5 million, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
TAT Phuket office director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon said the forecast was based on the southern Thailand beach destination's monthly year-on-year growth of 20 to 30 per cent from January to May.
Foreign visitor numbers are projected to reach 4.5 million, an increase over last year's four million. Australia, the UK, Sweden, South Korea and Germany were Phuket's top five markets in 2009.
Bangornrat said Russia was poised to overtake Germany this year as the island's fifth largest source market.
Meanwhile, the growing number of direct regional flights is expected to bring in even more visitors from Australia, India, the Middle East and South Korea.

(Sources: Sirima Eamtako, Bangkok, TTGAsia)