Many foreign tour operators are delaying sending tourists to Thailand`s southern resort province of Phuket…
Many foreign tour operators are delaying sending tourists to Thailand`s southern resort province of Phuket until the island`s principle beach has lost all traces of tsunami damage, according to the head of the Phuket Tourism Business Association.
Mr. Phattanaphong Ekwanich warned that tour operators were being put off by the continuing remains of damaged building on the Patong Beach, adding that companies from Germany, Australia and Sweden had informed him that they were not prepared to send tourists to the island until restoration work had been completed.
Calling on all parties involved to accelerate the reconstruction of the beach, which was hit by the massive waves on 26 December, he said that the restoration of Patong was imperative to bring back tourists.
According to Deputy Phuket Governor Winai Buapradit, the most pressing work at present is the development of the beachfront road and the construction of a wall which will block out the sight of construction work.
Patong municipality chief Mr. Pien Keesin admitted that problem areas remained, and that in some instances the construction of a wall would not be feasible.
But he said that the municipality was thinking of planting trees as a means of improving the look of the beach area until the reconstruction work was finished.
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