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| Hotels like the ShaSa hotel are becoming extremely popular |
Despite the on-going European financial crisis, which
has negatively impacted the tourism industry worldwide, the hospitality sector
of Koh Samui has done well so far this year, and is predicted to grow even more
in the coming years.
“This year saw stronger demand on the resort island
during July and August, which have a profound impact on annal trading figures.
Expectation is therefore that the overall annual occupancy rate will move up by
a few percentage points from the 67-per-cent level achieved in the first half,”
says Bill Barnett, the managing director C9 Hotelworks.
He also explains how the island has achieved a fairly
equal balance between supply and demand prospects, which in turn counters the
issue of an oversupply of accommodations. This is despite the fact that excess
inventory has been a commonly mentioned problem by those engaging the tourism
industry.
The occupancy rate in Koh Samui increased to an
impressive 8%, which denotes three major hotel developments – with a combined
total of 371 rooms – coming down the pipeline within a span of two years. This
equates to a healthy addition of three percent to island’s supply.
On the other hand, Phuket has an additional 5,000
hotel rooms in the pipeline, thereby causing an eleven percent spike in the
resort island’s supply.
Despite Samui’s enhanced tourism performance, the
figures don’t spread evenly amongst the different accommodations
establishments. Studies conducted by C9 Hotelworks shows that the occupancy
rate (during the first half) of upscale hotels was 73 per cent, which is
followed closely by mid-scale properties at 69 per cent, while luxury hotels
were calculated at 59 percent only.
Ironically, budget hotels had the smallest occupancy
rate of all, as research tags it at 53 percent only. Nevertheless, the
market-wide occupancy rate encompassing all accommodations types has reached 67
percent, which is eight percent higher than last year, and the highest it’s
been since 2008.
While many speculate that local tourism shall increase
significantly when (or if) plans for a second airport materialize, others feel
that Koh Samui would be better off with just one airport.
"Looking forward, the restrained air traffic may
be a blessing in disguise to the island, as restricting mass-tourism growth
could enhance its natural appeal," says Barnett. "While the
competitive markets of Phuket and Bali are overrun with skyrocketing numbers,
Samui's positioning is gradually shifting upward to a niche resort
destination."
