Koh Samui Tourism Picks Up

 

Amazingly awesome Sunset in Koh Samui
Photo Courtesy thailandislandtravel.blogspot.com

Propelled by additional international flights and upgraded aircraft coming in, the travel industry in Koh Samui island, a popular tourist destination in Thailand, showed substantial improvement last year, as per indicators from C9 Hotelworks, a consulting firm. Its analysis of tourist bookings in 2012 revealed that the island’s hotel occupancy rate stood at a record high of 68% which is significantly above the 59% clip recorded in 2011.

According to Bill Barnett, C9 managing director, the uptick in Koh Samui hotel occupancy is traceable to the ongoing fleet upgrade of Bangkok Airways for its flights bound for the island. With this move, over 189,000 airline seats annually are being made available for island-bound tourists.

New urban offerings

There are other factors which can further stimulate tourist inflow into Koh Samui, Barnett added. Local tourist facilities, like the ShaSa Resort at the island’s southern tip, will likely derive benefit from the 48,000-square-metre shopping complex being developed by the Central Group. Island projects such as these will bring in more urban offerings and, in the process, draw more Asian middle class visitors.

At present, the pristine white beaches of Koh Samui and water-based leisure activities are the primary drivers to its tourism industry in. Its profile of visitors is generally of European origin, principally Germany and the UK. Domestic tourists or those from other parts of Thailand constitute another important segment of the island’s travel industry market. These locals, combined with the Germans and the British, account for 27% of tourist arrivals in Koh Samui in 2012.

Notably, the island’s guests from the Russian Federation are also poised to grow in significance too. Last year, these tourists accounted for 15% of the total visitors in Phu Ket, another Thai tourist hub.

Meeting power demand

It is likewise notable that tourist industry players are laying the groundwork for the further influx of foreign visitors. For accommodations, 459 new rooms are set to be added to the current 17,479 rooms in the next two years.

Also, a new power distribution station has been opened, thereby addressing the issue of power blackouts which hit Koh Samui late last year to the detriment of the travel trade. This new station will be served by a 54-kilometre power cable from a generator in the mainland. All in all, this project costs 4.2 billion baht and will not only benefit Koh Samui but also its neighboring Koh Phangan. This facility can reportedly provide the power capacity sufficient enough to meet the local demand for the next ten years. 

Hike Looms in Koh Samui Hotel Rates

Pleasing view from the ShaSa hotel 

The durability of recent gains of the tourism industry in Koh Samui, one of the major travel destinations in Thailand, is expected to be tested in the coming months. The rates of Koh Samui hotel accommodations have remained relatively flat in previous years, but this will soon change. Notably, between 16,000 and18,000 tourism guest rooms are available in the island. The occupancy rate during the 2013 first quarter was estimated at 85–90%, up 10 percentage points from the same period last year.

Plans are afoot among upscale tourist establishments, like the popular ShaSa Resort at the island’s southern district, to increase their charges this year. Hotels with five- and four-star ratings intend to raise their rates by between 8% and 12% to cope with rising operating costs, mainly brought about by higher minimum wage of their workers.

Effect of baht value gains

The island’s lower-end hotels, on the other hand, are stymied from increasing their rates following the recent value appreciation of Thailand baht currency. Upscale hotels are currently charging room rates of from 4,500 to 7,500 baht. With the looming rate increases, tourism industry players in Koh Samui fear that the price level may lower their competitiveness in the international travel industry.

The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui, Tanongsak Somwong, is one of those most apprehensive about the rising value of the baht. It’s his hope, he said, that the uptrend of Thai currency won’t last too long as it erodes the purchasing power of visiting tourists upon their funds’ conversion.

Power supply issue resolved

In the past, local hotels are very much wary of raising their rates for fear of losing much of the inflow of tourists coming from the U.S. and Europe, countries of origin which have been experiencing financial difficulties. The recent rise in the value of the baht, hence, is a source of genuine concern, particularly for those hotels serving the lower-end of the market.

Unlike the four- and five-star hotels, these tourist-lodging establishments cannot increase room rates, as their prospective guests are more price-sensitive. High-end hotels, in contrast, have a well-to-do clientele more likely able to absorb the impact of the hike in room rates.

Fortunately, the concern on power outages, which hounded Koh Samui, is now being addressed. Last year, a significant number of tourists left the island with an unexpected failure in the local power grid. Electric supply has normalized and measures are being mapped out for any contingency occurring later.

Queen’s Cup Golf Tournament

The Queen's Cup Golf Tournament is one of the most prodigious tournaments in Thailand
Photo Courtesy Kohsamuiindex.com

The conditions of play better be superb if a tournament is being held in honor of a royalty, a situation more than satisfactorily met at the Queen’s Cup Golf Tournament hosted in the resort island of Koh Samui in Thailand. This golf tourney has been organized as a tribute to Thailand’s Queen Sirikit, and in 2009, it was included in the multi-leg Asia Golf Circuit with several country stops across the region.

The Santiburi Samui Country Club serves as the venue for this tournament that has gained the prestige it rightfully deserves over the years. The country club also operates in tandem with a facility tied to one of the Koh Samui beaches where the superb facilities are echoes of those in the ShaSa Resort, one of the top attractions at the opposite southern tip of the island. The Santiburi prides itself as having one of the most beautiful golf links in Asia.

A course with two faces

A round of play in this par 72, 18-hole championship course runs for 6,930 yards traversing the gentle inland mountain landscape of Samui always cooled by the sea breeze. Duffers will find this course forgiving, as there is no handicap requirement for players, although it would be advisable for these golf beginners to first hone their skills in the course’s 9-hole variant.

Honed to championship play, the defence formed by Santiburi’s sand traps, bunkers, and water hazards can be challenging even to the best of touring pros of the Asia golf circuit. Each hole presents a different kind of riddle with the uphill and downhill contour of the Santiburi fairways. The entire course is also most endearing for the long, winding features of some of the links’ stretches and the coconut groves so adeptly integrated into the tropical layout.  

Rounds of play can also be so inspiring with the spectacular views around Samui—coves and beaches, islands and bays, and the emerald expanse of the Gulf of Thailand waters. Even at the country club’s driving range and putting green, this entire incomparable island panorama can be enjoyed. Completing a round at Santiburi either as a player or spectator in the Queen’s Cup can perfectly wind up at the links’ clubhouse built in a distinctive Thai architectural style, which too gives more than subtle hints of royalty.

Samui Bike Week

Picture of cool bike during Koh Samui Bike Week
Photo Courtesy Thailandcooler.com

Every May, the resort island of Koh Samui in Thailand comes alive with another offering besides its perennial attractions of sun, sea, sand, and surf. The highlights of Koh Samui activities during this month turn to motorcycles as aficionados of these two-wheeled road denizens seek bragging rights in annual showcase and foster mutual camaraderie in parallel festivities.

Organized by the island’s motorcycle riders club and sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Samui Bike Week is more than an exhibition of some of the finest motorbikes from various continents. The revving engines of Harleys, Ducatis, Hondas, and Yamahas, provide interesting counterpoints to band concerts, native delicacies at local food stalls, and a Western, cowboy-inspired extravaganza.

Environmental advocacy

Held annually for several years now, the Samui Bike Week has also taken up an advocacy. Part of the income generated during this event, which is likewise billed as Riding for Peace and Environment, is allocated for the Green Island Project, an endeavour geared towards the sustainable development of tourism in Samui. This pursuit is aligned with private and government sectors’ efforts to preserve the island’s pristine beaches, verdant woodlands, lush greeneries, and crystal clear waters, features that can best be appreciated in one local facility, the ShaSa Resort, at the southern tip of Samui.

The holding of a bike week in the island comes as second nature with Samui being home to several motorcycle clubs whose roots trace back to the early 2000s. Locals and a rich mix of expatriates compose these groups, which besides the organizing Samui Riders MC, include Samui Pirates MC, Dark Knights MC, and the Bandidos MC which also has roots in Phuket and Pattaya. Seven other MCs call Samui their home base as registered with the American Motorcyclists Association.

Living sculptures on the road

The lead stars of the event are, of course, the motorbikes, which have certainly made their presence, felt in Samui, particularly the big machines of the iconic Harley Davidson. Notably, one bike shop in Chaweng has several Harleys which are for rent. The shop, Ohms Cycles Samui, is owned by the Dark Nights’ president, Khun Ohm.

The Samui Bike Week, nonetheless, offers a lot more besides these so-called “hogs” of the road.  The Thai motorcycle enthusiasts are well known for their bike customisation such that the Steeds, Viragos, or Honda Classics to be seen (and heard) during the bike week can be rightfully considered as works of arts, more like mobile sculptures with a life truly their own. 

Koh Samui’s Quaint Children Festival

The Children's Festival in Koh Samui occurs in January every year

Thailand, like most cultures, hold special festivals focused on children, occasions which can best be experienced in one of the country’s top tourist destination Koh Samui. This tourism jewel is located at the Gulf of Thailand, off the country’s east coast. Rightly so, local authorities have made a children’s festival among the Koh Samui attractions, providing additional promotional platform for popular travel facilities like the ShaSa Resort, a preferred destination in the southern end of the island.

For local and foreign tourists alike, it is endearing to witness or be a part of this quaint celebration traditionally held each January. Some local institutions also hold similar celebrations of their own at different times of the year. One thing for sure, there’s unity in the purpose of these events to focus on the importance of inculcating positive values in the minds of children as future leaders in succeeding generations.

Prismatic festival dimension

As to be expected, the children of Koh Samui look forward to this annual event. It is, after all, their day and their chance to be the centre of attention. To their credit, travel and tour operators too have recognised the importance of this celebration and have actively promoted the festival as a come-on for tourists to visit the island. By doing so, a new dimension that is international and character is lent to the festivity in honour of children. On the same breadth, the festival is also a chance for the Thai children to showcase their culture, dressed as they are in traditional garb for this occasion.

Kids with their visiting parents can partake of the various family-oriented activities, which can be enjoyed during the festival. What’s in store for them is a day-long fun of games and entertainment purposively organized not only for camaraderie but also bringing out the talents of children. Hence, the program of activities can include singing and art competitions as well as dancing contests. Social interaction is also fostered through gift-giving and special treats.

Discount privileges are also extended to children, particularly on food, drinks, and entertainment, such as boat rides.

Advocacy for sustainable tourism

It is quite commendable too that some institutions have injected advocacy on the children’s festival lately. One example is the inclusion of environment-consciousness in the celebration organised by the International School of Samui. The event, besides its associated festivities, featured lectures, scientific experiments, and film presentations on the value of preserving the island’s water environment, a pursuit that should help make tourism sustainable for Koh Samui for the benefit of future generations.