Arguably Thailand’s most famous beach destination, Phuket is almost synonymous with a holiday in ‘The Land of Smiles’. Boasting some of the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia, extensive accommodation ranging from budget to ultra-luxury and plenty of fun activities and sightseeing opportunities, it isn’t hard to see why.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said, “Phuket continues to attract an increasing number of international tourists, in particular during the European winter. This peak season for Phuket begins in late October, and TAT offices in key overseas markets are already actively promoting the island as a must-visit location while holidaying in Thailand.”

Anticipating increased visitor traffic to and from Phuket during the peak season, several airlines in the region are either adding new flights or increasing the frequency on existing services.

Among these is the national flag carrier Thai Airways International, which on 29 October will boost its current Beijing – Phuket service from four flights to seven flights a week. At the same time it will switch aircraft used on the route from a 264-seat Boeing 787 to a 299-seat Airbus A330.

Vietnamese carrier Vietjet will launch a new Ho Chi Minh City – Phuket service on 15 December, with four flights a week using an Airbus A320 with seat capacity of 180.

AirAsia meanwhile will introduce a twice daily flight to Phuket from Macau starting on 8 January 2018, also using an Airbus A320. Phuket is considered a top destination for travelers from Macau and China.

Mr. Yuthasak said, “The addition of more flights and extra seat capacity will mean even more choice and flexibility for tourists when organising their travel plans to Phuket and indeed elsewhere in Thailand.”

A positive development in recent Thai tourism news was the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) lifting earlier this month of the red flag imposed on Thailand since 2015 over significant safety concerns in the country’s aviation sector. While indicating that Thailand had addressed these issues, it has also freed up airlines to consider new routes and/or frequency increases to popular destinations like Phuket.