Phuket tourism numbers see 52% Israeli arrivals surge this July

Phuket's tourism figures indicate a substantial increase in Israeli visitors this July, with a 52.43% surge compared to the same period last year, and a staggering 1,204.68% growth compared to pre-Covid 2019 levels, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Phuket office. Governor Chotinarin Kirdsom addressed a Phuket provincial meeting on August 27 to discuss these figures.

While overall visitor numbers for the province were down slightly year-to-date, reaching 8,096,059 visitors between January and July, revenue remained robust, totaling approximately 310,961.57 million baht, only a 0.72% decrease from the previous year. Hotel occupancy was 75.56%, down 1.74% from the same period last year. The Israeli market emerged as the fastest-growing among Phuket's top 10 source markets in July, up 52.43% year-on-year, and over 12-fold compared to 2019.

Russia was the leading source market overall, with 619,130 visitors, followed by China with 383,918, India with 354,066, Australia with 149,542, and the United Kingdom with 131,344. The remaining top 10 markets were Germany, France, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, and South Korea. Russia, China, and India continued to constitute the largest share of foreign arrivals to Phuket.

Despite the slight decline in visitor numbers, the tourism sector is anticipated to benefit from new direct flight routes, such as Kuwait Airways launching a Kuwait-Phuket service from October 27, and MIAT Mongolian Airlines operating a Ulaanbaatar-Phuket route from December 2026 to March 2027. These new routes are expected to bolster Phuket's position as a prominent global tourism destination throughout the remainder of 2026.