Tourism operators in Phuket are urging airlines to slash their prices as the island's image as an expensive destination is seen as harming travel opportunities, especially without the huge Chinese market, which accounted for 40% of business before the pandemic.
Thanet Tantipiriyakit, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said local travellers remained a vital market for the tourism industry as the international market has not yet fully recovered, largely because of muted demand in China.
