Phuket, Thailand -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/03/2011 -- According to a recent report by C9 Hotelworks, 2010 was a record breaking year for tourist arrivals on the island of Phuket, Thailand.

The 2010 Phuket Hotel Market Report revealed that Phuket International Airport saw three and a half million arrivals last year; an increase of twenty-two percent over 2009.

Arrivals from Russia and China showed the strongest growth due to the introduction of new direct flights to Phuket.

To cope with the increase in demand, a total of 1,389 new hotel rooms were added to the 43,036 registered hotel rooms in Phuket in 2010.

New hotels opening their doors in Phuket last year included the Langham Boutique Resort at Kalim Bay, the Centara Grand Beach Resort in Karon Beach, the Westin Siray Bay Resort and Spa on Koh Siray near Phuket Town, B-Lay Tong on the Patong Beach Road and the Marriott Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa in Mai Khao.

The report also outlined that in 2010 the supply of accommodation in Phuket outpaced demand for the first time in ten years. This led to hotel operators competing for guests by offering reduced room rates and special package deals.

In fact, although overall hotel occupancy in Phuket increased by four percent last year, this was offset by a three percent reduction in room rates across the island.

Rebecca Smith
Phuket Ocean Villas - http://www.phuketoceanvillas.com

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