Israeli Arrivals to Phuket Surge 52% in July as Tourism Revenue Stays Strong

Phuket recorded a sharp increase in Israeli visitors in July, with arrivals from the country rising by 52.43% compared with the same month last year. The figure was even more striking against the pre-pandemic period, showing a 1,204.68% increase compared with July 2019, according to data from the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

The figures were presented on August 27 during a provincial meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Chotinarin Kirdsom. The latest statistics showed that the island welcomed slightly fewer visitors overall during the first seven months of the year, although tourism revenue remained relatively stable.

From January through July, Phuket recorded 8,096,059 visitors, representing a 1.53% decline from the same period in the previous year. Average hotel occupancy stood at 75.56%, down 1.74%.

Despite the modest reduction in arrivals, tourism income remained above 310 billion baht. Phuket generated an estimated 310,961.57 million baht in tourism revenue during the seven-month period, just 0.72% below last year's figure. The relatively small decline was attributed to the continued arrival of tourists who spend more during their stays.

Israel was the fastest-growing market among Phuket's 10 leading source countries in July. Arrivals increased by 52.43% year-on-year and were more than 12 times higher than the corresponding figure recorded in 2019.

Russia remained Phuket's biggest source market for the January-July period, contributing 619,130 visitors.

China ranked second with 383,918 arrivals, followed by India with 354,066, Australia with 149,542 and the United Kingdom with 131,344.

The rest of the top 10 markets were Germany, with 106,902 visitors; France, with 103,752; Malaysia, with 87,854; Kazakhstan, with 81,673; and South Korea, with 79,960.

Russia, China and India continued to make up the largest portions of Phuket's international visitor base. China was the island's biggest individual source market in July, with 58,634 arrivals. That represented a 19.02% increase from July 2025, although Chinese arrivals were still 63.39% below the level recorded in July 2019.

Phuket is also expected to benefit from the expansion of direct air connections later this year. Kuwait Airways is scheduled to begin operating a Kuwait-Phuket service on October 27, with two flights per week. MIAT Mongolian Airlines is also planning a Ulaanbaatar-Phuket route from December 2026 through March 2027, operating three times a week.

The new connections from the Middle East and East Asia are expected to support Phuket's tourism industry during the second half of 2026 by providing more direct access and helping the province reach additional international markets.

Although total visitor numbers were slightly lower during the first seven months of the year, Phuket continued to generate more than 310 billion baht in tourism revenue. The growth of emerging markets and the addition of new direct flight routes are expected to help the island maintain its position as one of the world's leading tourism destinations through the remainder of 2026.