• Tourist hotspots like Phuket are now open to international tourists who don’t have to quarantine and others like Koh Samui are following suit, pointed out William Heinecke, CEO of Minor International, which runs a chain of hotels and restaurants worldwide.
  • The hospitality industry is seeing a strong recovery in some parts of the world and is seeing a preference for luxury rooms, and health and wellness-focused experiences.
  • However, hoteliers are also concerned about slow vaccine rollout in parts of Asia which may harm the region’s recovery.

The darkest days for the tourism industry may soon be over, according to the chairman of a multinational hospitality firm.

Tourist hotspots like Phuket are now open to international tourists who don’t have to quarantine, and others like Koh Samui are following suit, pointed out William Heinecke, CEO of Minor International, which runs a chain of hotels and restaurants worldwide.

The Thai government recently announced a “sandbox scheme” for Phuket, saying the popular resort island will be open, quarantine-free to vaccinated Thai and foreign travelers from July 1. Koh Samui, Thailand’s second largest island also became accessible to tourists from July 15 under the same rules.

Tourists can move around both islands freely and leave for other cities in Thailand after staying in Phuket or Samui for 14 days.

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