Russian visitors drive Phuket tourism boom amid Chinese visitor drop

Hotel occupancy rates on the island soared to 92% in January and February, accompanied by a 15% rise in average room rates, according to the Bangkok Post.

Russian tourists have become the leading visitor group in Phuket, particularly those arriving via direct flights. In the first half of March alone, Phuket welcomed approximately 72,379 Russian visitors compared to just 14,113 from China.

February saw a dramatic 46% year-on-year drop in Chinese tourist numbers, down to 52,054 arrivals. Despite this reduction, overall hotel performance improved compared to 2024, driven primarily by increased tourism from Europe and other Asian countries, Suksit Suvunditkul, president of the southern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, said as cited by the Bangkok Post.

Suksit said occupancy is expected to decrease slightly to around 75% in March but the upcoming Songkran holiday, celebrated from April 13 to 15, is expected to drive further increases in room rates.

Earlier this year, Thailand projected the number of Chinese visitors in 2025 to be at 7.5 million instead of the original target of 9 million.

Contributing factors included safety concerns following the kidnapping of Chinese celebrities, China's economic slowdown and competitions from other tourist destinations, The Nation reported.