Tourism in Trat province - home to famous islands in the Gulf of Thailand such as Koh Kud, Koh Mak and Koh Chang, is gradually improving as visitors start to return after pandemic restrictions eased.

A pier on Koh Mak island in Trat province of Thailand (Photo: VNA)

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is confident tourism will bounce back in the second half of this year.

According to Phatcharin Sawettarat, director of TAT's Trat Office, the province welcomed 932,115 visitors in the first five months of 2023, including nearly 350,000  foreigners, adding that they brought about 9 billion THB (250 million USD).

She attributed the increasing number of tourists to the organisation of many festivals held in the province, such as Songkran and the fruit festival.

The number of foreign tourists surged by 135.72% during the first five months when compared with the same period last year, while income was also up by 134.04%.

Phatcharin said that with these figures, they believe that tourism in Trat is going to pick up in the second half of this year.

Airlines will also increase flight frequency for the high season while daily speedboat services will also increase to bring visitors from the mainland to Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kud, she noted.

In the current rainy season, TAT has launched campaigns to encourage visitors to visit Trat, Phatcharin said. Specifically, it has launched a promotion event entitled "From the Mountain Mist in Nan to the Sea Mist in Trat".

It will also organise an event called "Sanae Silp Thin Trat (Charming Arts of Trat)" from July 21–23 to promote local foods and arts and crafts, she said.

TAT plans to promote the 800-year-old Wat Bubpharam temple as a pilgrimage site and a second annual bikini run on Koh Mak, she went on.

Last year, Koh Mak was selected by the government to pilot a green tourism policy under the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economic Model, whereby the island is oriented to develop into a tourist destination that can both generate income for people while promoting good governance and providing clean, convenient and safe tourist attractions.

Source: VNA