Looking at the numbers, the new upgrade and expansion of Phuket International Airport has been a roaring success.

First quarter 2018 (January through March) passenger arrivals surged by 19.3% compared to the same period last year, tallying 2,729,185 travelers.

China growth led the way with a staggering 50% year-on-year increase, while the Russian market has not only recovered, but moved up by 47%.

For the period, total Chinese arrivals was 660,813 followed by Russia with 303,772.

Ranking the top five international markets in order are China, Russia, Germany, Sweden and Australia.

It should be noted that the arrival figures at Phuket Airport only note the nationality of passengers arriving on international flights, and that overseas passengers coming to the island on domestic flights are not reflected in the nationality numbers above. Hence the reality is that the Chinese and Russian number are in fact even higher.

Airlift and direct flights to Phuket continue to define the destination, as the island ranks amongst leading global markets in terms of sustained demonstrated growth.

About C9 Hotelworks
C9 Hotelworks is led by founder and Managing Director Bill Barnett, who brings over 30 years' experience in the Asian hospitality and real estate sectors. Prior to founding C9 in 2003, Bill held senior executive roles in hotel operations, development and asset management. He is considered to be a leading global authority on hotel residences, and has sat at almost every seat around the hospitality and real estate table.

Bill promotes industry insight through regular conference presentations at key events and contributes to numerous industry publications. www.c9hotelworks.com