タイ・プーケット、観光客受け入れ再開　ワクチン接種で隔離不要

【プーケットＡＦＰ＝時事】タイの人気観光地プーケット島は１日、隔離期間なしでの観光客の受け入れを再開した。同日正午前には、第１弾となる乗客２５人をのせたエティハド航空の旅客機が到着した。（写真はタイのプーケット国際空港に到着した、アラブ首長国連邦・アブダビ発のエティハド航空機）
　タイは、過去最悪の新型コロナウイルス感染拡大に見舞われているものの、政府は新型コロナウイルスによって壊滅的な打撃を受けた観光業の復活を期待し、新型コロナウイルスワクチン接種済みの旅行者に限り、隔離期間なしで入国を許可する「プーケット・サンドボックス」制度を導入した。
　タイは変異株「アルファ株」と「デルタ株」の感染拡大で、流行の第３波に見舞われており、首都バンコクと近郊には感染対策の制限が課されている。６月３０日には、１日当たりの死者は、５３人と過去最多となった。
　だが、当局は予定通りプーケット・サンドボックスを開始すると表明。１日には、イスラエル、アラブ首長国連邦（ＵＡＥ）、カタール、シンガポールからの４便、計２４９人が到着を予定している。
　外国人観光客は到着時に専用のスマートフォン・アプリのインストールを求められ、その動きは管理センターで追跡される。同センターは感染が発生した場合も対応に当たる。
　関係者らは観光の再開を待ち望んでいた。タイを訪れる観光客は毎年約４０００万人で、国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）の約１８％を観光業が占める。だが、ここ１年ほどプーケットの白い砂浜はいつになく静かで、８割以上のホテルが休業している。
　島民の３分の２は、観光客受け入れに向け、ワクチン接種を完了している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2021/07/02-15:58）

The first international travellers touched down Thursday in the holiday hotspot of Phuket under a quarantine-free scheme, as Thailand tries to reboot its battered tourism industry while also enduring its worst coronavirus outbreak.
Tourism makes up almost a fifth of the Thai economy, and the Covid-19 pandemic has led to its worst performance since the 1997 Asian financial crisis.
The kingdom is pinning hopes for a much-needed revival on the so-called Phuket sandbox -- a model that will allow vaccinated travellers to visit without quarantine.
On Thursday, about 200 passengers on flights from Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Singapore were expected to land on the island -- where the beaches have been almost deserted since the virus hit.
The first 25 travellers arrived on an Etihad Airways flight before noon and underwent screening procedures.
Among them was Omar Al Raessi, from the UAE, who said he had previously been to the island 15 times and would spend eight days relaxing.
After two years of not travelling, I've chosen the Phuket sandbox to change my mood, the 37-year-old told AFP.
A British tourist said he would stay for a month and was looking forward to a family reunion.
My children live here so I'm going to see my kids, he told AFP.
French consultant Bruno Souillard, 60, said the scheme would allow him to eventually get to his holiday home elsewhere in Thailand, without being quarantined.
It is annoying to spend vacations locked up in a hotel for 15 days and (here) we are not locked up so that's great, he said.
- Relatively unscathed -
The launch of the quarantine-free scheme comes as Thailand grapples with its worst-ever Covid-19 wave and the worrying detection of the Alpha and Delta coronavirus variants.
Nationwide, the current case tally is at more than 260,000.
But Phuket remains relatively unscathed as Thai authorities have rolled out a mass vaccination campaign in preparation for the quarantine-free arrivals, with 70 percent of the island's residents receiving at least one dose.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha travelled to Phuket for the launch and said the pilot scheme would provide the basis for reopening the entire country in October.
Phuket citizens should be proud as they are fulfilling their duty for the entire nation, he told reporters at the Royal Phuket City Hotel.
We would like the Phuket sandbox to be successful so it can be applied as guidelines for our goals.
Besides being fully vaccinated, tourists must remain in Phuket for a fortnight if they wish to travel to the rest of Thailand, and take three coronavirus tests during this period.
A command centre will track foreign visitors' movements via a mobile app -- which tourists are required to install on arrival -- and also monitor for potential outbreaks.
Despite the fanfare, tourism operators are lukewarm on the resuscitation of the economy on the island, where nearly 90 percent of hotels have been shuttered.
I think the restrictions make people travel less, said Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, president of the Thai Hotels Association Southern Chapter, who runs a resort on the island.
Kongsak added that authorities had downgraded their sandbox entry forecast of 129,000 visitors in the third quarter, to 100,000.
But even a trickle of visitors will be a lifeline for desperate vendors such as Thewan Phromyang, who rents out deck chairs at Phuket's Patong Beach.
I barely have any income. We can only feed ourselves, the 49-year-old told AFP.
Another regional tourist hotspot, Bali, had been eyeing a July reopening but Indonesian authorities appeared to have backed down as virus cases surged to record levels.
While Jakarta has not announced an official cancellation, comments this week from the tourism minister suggested that any bid to welcome back tourists was likely to be delayed until infections are curbed.
burs-lpm/leg