BRAND PHUKET’S X-FACTOR

BRAND PHUKET’S X-FACTOR NEWS SITE HITS GLOBAL AUDIENCE
February 1, 2012

PHUKET, THAILAND: Despite the crises that have beset Thailand over the past five years Phuket continues to post remarkable growth. It remains entrenched in travelers’ minds as not only Asia’s most popular tourism island, but one of the most desirable leisure destinations for investors and entrepreneurs worldwide.

Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks and Publisher of ThePhuketInsider. For hi-resolution image, click here.
Last year when the flooding damaged the industry – and certainly the perception of Thailand worldwide – Phuket continued its astounding resilience story recording a 30% increase in visitor arrivals, with 4.2 million arrivals alone at Phuket International Airport – which has established itself as one of the region’s busiest airports.

Bolstering the image of what is being talked of now as “Brand Phuket” is leading digital tourism news site thephuketinsider.com which has brought a booming tourism industry within striking distance of a global audience through its incisive commentary, unique research and the “X-Factor” that continues to drive the destination forward.

ThePhuketInsider, which was launched in 2009, is the brainchild of Bill Barnett Founder and Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks – a leading Phuket-based hospitality consulting firm specialising in the Asian region.

“As the world turned upside down after the global financial crisis and Thailand experienced a political crisis, the island’s tourism market has continued to surge, registering double digit year-on-year annual visitor arrivals growth,” said Mr Barnett.

“In my opinion it is the X-Factor that has provided Phuket a combustion engine of sustained forward momentum. The island has found this a highly successful formula headlined by door-to-door travel via an increasing number of direct flights. Top this off with a large stable of international hotel chains, a mega yachting industry, and a lifestyle which is attracting people from all walks of life and you have very compelling drivers of demand.”

Visitor Arrivals and number of Flights at Phuket International Airport. For high resolution report, click here.The “boots on the ground” research that C9 Hotelworks pioneered in Phuket remains at the core of the ThePhuketInsider which has become a must read for key local, regional and international players in the travel trade, tourism and property industries.

But with the launch of a new look, the news site is breaking fresh ground – offering an improved mobile version, geo tagging of stories on Google Maps, and additions such as plug in’s to TripAdvisor and Facebook.

“It’s an exciting time for ThePhuketInsider” said Mr Barnett. “Obviously social media is the fastest way that news spreads today and can have a great impact on hotel and property brands. Unlike print publications the new world media order is always open 24/7, which means continually recreating our own business models.

“Brand Phuket remains a highly sought after commodity. Our mission at ThePhuketInsider in presenting tourism updates, statistics and news which brings readers closer to the actual facts.”

About C9 Hotelworks
C9 Hotelworks is a hospitality consulting firm based in Phuket, Thailand and led by Managing Director Bill Barnett. With 27 years of experience in Asia Pacific, he is a leading specialist on hotel and property development issues, having held executive positions with a number of international hotel chains. He is a columnist with a number of leading newspapers, including the Phuket Gazette and The Nation and has appeared on CNBC, the BBC and CNN. His popular website http://www.thephuketinsider.com is the authoritative source of all Phuket hotel tourism and real estate issues and trends. More information on the company can be found at www.c9hotelworks.com

For further information or high-resolution photography please contact :
Bill Barnett, Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks
Email: bill@c9hotelworks.com
Telephone: +66 (0)8 1956 1802