After careful deliberation and months of planning, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand has announced the Phuket Tourism Sandbox initiative, a plan for opening Phuket Province on 1 July 2021 for international travelers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The plan has been approved by Thailand’s Center for Economic Situation Administration (CESA), which is chaired by the Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-o-cha. Under the plan, international travelers who have been vaccinated and tested negative upon arrival will not have to quarantine as long as they stay on Phuket for 14 days before travelling to other parts of Thailand.
Phuket Tourism Sandbox is the first concrete example of how the reopening of Thailand to foreign travelers might look, and it is welcome news for the country’s tourism industry. In a letter to the Prime Minister of Thailand, General Prayuth Chan-o-cha, William E. Heinecke Chairman Minor International PCL welcomes the initiative and calls the success of the scheme a turning point for the reopening of Thailand.
The success of the Phuket Tourism Sandbox plan is likely to accelerate the reopening of other parts of the country, and help the economy back on track. The tourism industry is closely linked to the MICE industry, and sports tourism in particular have proven to have a positive effect not only on the economy but also on local communities.
“We welcome the Phuket Tourism Sandbox initiative and echo the sentiment that a successful rollout should pave the way for further reopening of the country,” says Paul Poole, Founder, Managing Director and Chairman of The Sponsorship Experts. “We know that when the tourism industry is healthy and thriving, we also see increased activity in the sports tourism sector, including commercial sponsorship and partnership marketing activity.”
Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co., Ltd. is an independent marketing consultancy based in Bangkok, Thailand specialising in commercial sponsorship and partnership marketing, working with both rights holders and brands - acting as a catalyst by bringing them together and maximising the relationship.
We have packaged, sold and managed sponsorship and partnership opportunities for a wide range of rights holders and worked with many of the world’s leading brands to source and engage the right sponsorships and partnerships for them to maximise.
