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Boost for Phuket Phuket's hotels are enrolling in a two-for-one programme to boost travel arrivals during the rainy season months. Approximately 17 hotels signed up for the campaign launched by the Tourism Authority of Thailand's domestic travel division in cooperation with the agency's Phuket office. Other TAT offices in the southern region will probably devise their own versions of the age-old discount strategy that started in the overseas market when tour operators secured the second week free on the promise of a paid booking for the initial week. Phuket airport's latest passenger movement figures for January through to March suggested the island's recovery was in full swing. Passenger movements including some transit soared by almost 70 percent. In March, there was a 47 percent leap, while international passenger movements alone increased 78 percent. Despite this healthy trend, which appears to indicate there is now justification for more flights, TAT's domestic travel division still believes the island needs a helping hand to see it through the lean months of July through to October. Hoteliers usually call this the green season, an apt description as the island turns that colour due to the daily rainstorms. Tourists should not complain about a spot of rain if it results in generous hotels offering two nights for the price of one. The first night rates range from 900 baht at the Patong Green Mountain Hotel to 3,990 baht at the Blue Marine Resort and Spa and 4,499 baht at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia. Two town-based hotels - the Pearl and Royal City - are participating with a 1,550-baht room rate. By my reckoning, it will probably be the last time we see a two-for-one deal on Phuket hotels for sometime as all the indicators point to a very robust peak season November, this year, through to March 2007. A healthy low-season will follow, probably almost eliminating the need to talk green or any other colour throughout the rest of 2007. Most of the 14 provinces in the South will be included in a similar campaign once the Phuket initiative is underway. The pan-South campaign will be linked to a book of discounts coupons that can be used at 149 hotels, restaurants and shops. TAT estimates that two-for-one campaigns can stimulate the local tourism industry to the tune of 55 billion baht in direct spending. On a visit to Suvarnabhumi Airport terminal, I couldn't help but notice thousands of brand new hard suitcases and backpacks neatly lined up at the check-in counters. They were waiting for the daily ride on the carousels and conveyor belts as the Airports of Thailand attempts to lift the handling average to 9,600 bags an hour without a mishap. Packed with stones the heavy bags are sent to various gates where aircraft would be waiting and then back through the system to the inbound baggage carousels. I am told the tests got up to around 7,000 per hour without any mishaps but that was before a few hard cases got chewed up, corners knocked off and some instances the belts came to a grinding halt. Once the settings were fined tuned the hard suitcases travelled through the system smoothly, but the backpacks played up. They got stuck here and there tearing off straps. A sturdy North Face haversack was trashed like a plastic bag. Somewhere between the hard cases and the soft backpack settings, lies the perfect pitch that will ensure all our luggage will arrive in one piece. I understand that in the most recent tests the system hummed efficiently almost delivering 9,300 bags without any mishap at all. Of course, we can understand why the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is concerned that Suvarnabhumi Airport deliver a baggage system that is accident proof by the September 28 opening. They have a vested financial interest to look after their airline members that pay compensation to passengers if their luggage is damaged. Ultimately, AoT would have to foot the bill if the accidents were caused by a faulty system unable to deliver its stated performance. Iata has always been critical of Suvarnabhumi's accelerated opening date claiming its airline members could be the ultimate losers. It criticised higher landing fees, warned that the Airports Information Management System might not be up to speed, potential flaws in baggage handling and delays in handing over airline office space. On airline office space, a good humoured AoT executive claims the airlines should take a leaf out of their own IT manuals. Airlines are spoiled at Don Muang and they are placing staff in cheaper office space at the airport instead of locating them at a downtown office. "They can shift staff off site using today's IT communications," the AoT executive told me. "There is no reason to have staff in airport offices if their function is not directly to do with operations. Some even have accountants at the airport office." Suvarnabhumi Airport will require us all to adopt a new mind set. When we drive families to the airport, technically there is no waiting on the five-lane flyover that sweep along the length of the 500-metre long terminal. We will have to drive to the 5,300 capacity short-term parking garage. Then if we play by the rules, as explained by AoT, arriving passengers will go to the parking garage for a car pick-up, to the train station or they will board the airport's low-rider shuttle buses to the remote taxi ranks and bus stations, three kilometres from the terminal building. That means the landside transfer to the taxi ranks would use similar buses as those used, airside, to transfer passengers to aircraft parked at remote bays. Interesting concept when you also have your luggage in tow? |