Phuket Generates THB 540 Billion from Tourism. Can TCDC Phuket Help Create the Next Layer of Value?
Phuket welcomes more than 14 million visitors annually and generates over THB 540 billion in tourism revenue.
The next question may therefore not be: “How can Phuket attract even more tourists?”
A more strategic question could be: “How can Phuket create more value from each visitor?”
That is what makes the launch of TCDC Phuket and its “Tourism Lab” concept particularly interesting.
CEA and the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization are creating a platform where Creativity + Design + Innovation can be applied to tourism products, services and experiences.
Consider the possibilities: Local cuisine + Design → New food brands
Local Culture + Technology → Higher-value visitor experiences
This is one of the central ideas behind the creative economy: Creating new economic value from assets that already exist.
IBiz News Insight
The long-term success of Tourism Lab should not be measured solely by how many people visit TCDC Phuket.
More meaningful indicators would include the number of new entrepreneurs, products, local brands, creative businesses and tourism experiences generated through the ecosystem- and how much additional economic value reaches local communities.
If that happens, TCDC Phuket could evolve beyond a creative space into an economic platform for the city.
And Phuket could gradually shift its tourism growth equation from: More Tourists → More Value from Tourism.