Phuket in mass COVID-19 vaccination drive ahead of tourism reopening-Test

PHUKET: In Thailand, it's the all-important tourism sector that has jumped to the head of the COVID-19 vaccination line, with the country's most popular resort island embarking on a mass inoculation programme two months ahead of the rest of the country.

The island of Phuket aims to deliver shots to at least 460,000 people - most of its population - as it gears up for Jul 1, when vaccinated overseas visitors will no longer be required to quarantine.

Phuket also has its own international airport and tourists would be able to roam the island freely without posing any COVID-19 risk to the rest of Thailand's population.

"If we can build immunity for 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the population on the island, we can receive foreign tourists who have been vaccinated without the need for quarantine," Phuket's Vice Governor Piyapong Choowong told Reuters.

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Spending by foreign tourists accounted for 11 per cent to 12 per cent of GDP pre-pandemic and the sector has been devastated by the virus with 1.45 million jobs lost since last year.

Just 6.7 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in 2020, spending about US$11 billion. That compares with nearly 40 million in 2019, when they spent US$61 billion.

Strict 14-day quarantine requirements for overseas visitors have helped Thailand limit COVID-19 infections to about 29,100 cases and 95 deaths but have proven to be too great a hurdle for most tourists.

Programmes to attract long-term tourists who test negative for the coronavirus have largely flopped, even with creative measures such as quarantine at golf resorts.

Songklod Wongchai, an analyst at Finansia Syrus, believes Thailand could see a quick rebound in tourism, citing the example of the Maldives which has seen hotel occupancy rates bounce back to 70 per cent to 80 per cent despite cases of COVID-19.

"Pent-up demand may come back faster than expected. I think the Land of Smiles will start smiling again," he said.

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