The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Krabi Hotels Association are promoting the new concept of "privacy and green resorts" for Phi Phi Island, hoping to attract high-spending tourists rather than backpackers.

Ladawan Chuaychart, chief of TAT's region-4 office, said last week that hotel operators on Phi Phi would focus more on well-heeled tourists than other beach cities or islands.

Phi Phi has lost huge tourism earnings and high-spending tourists since the tsunami devastated the Andaman-sea island more than two years ago.

"TAT hopes to change that," she said.

Phi Phi and Krabi's tourism campaigns this year focus on ecotourism and the quality of tourists, which reflects the policy of the Krabi administration.

The emphasis will not be so much on the number of tourists but their quality, with a view to increasing earnings by appealing to high-spending, privacy-seeking vacationers.

Authorities have been successful in developing Phi Phi's new clean and quality image by preventing any kind of water or air pollution, she said.

"We don't allow beach-umbrella services on the beach. Jet-ski services and sea-walker services have in the past affected the overall image of Phi Phi. We have not allowed any of these and monitor all allowed services carefully," she said.

In the first three months, tourists from Scandinavia and the rest of Europe, the main target markets for Krabi, made up 95-100 per cent of hotel bookings.

Hotels reportedly had no problems marketing their services and meeting the demands of their guests.

TAT has set a nationwide target for this year of 14.8 million international visitor arrivals and 82 million domestic trips, generating revenues of Bt547 billion and Bt377 billion respectively.

Tourism Minister Suvid Yodmani said the country would stress high-yield and high-calibre visitors this year.

TAT would also promote sustainable tourism in line with the sufficiency-economy theory of His Majesty the King.

The agency will also strive to promote tourism throughout the 14 southern provinces to ensure better distribution of the benefits of tourism.

The key target markets for domestic travel are general tourists, youth, families, workers, high-income earners, retirees and winners on incentives trips.

International target groups are general tourists, high-income visitors, families, golfers, divers and honeymooners.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation