IMPACTS OF INVESTMENTS FOR REGIONAL AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT; THE CASE OF PHUKET, THAILAND

Abstract

Rapid growth of the tourism industry and significant investments have led to the transformation of Phuket into one of Southeast Asia’s leading tourist destinations. Since the mid-1990s, Phuket has experienced a rapid increase in total annual visitor arrivals. This was also due to an extensive network of hotels and resorts, as well as a wide range of leisure activities available to visitors. This article sheds light on how tourism investments may impact regional and local development. We investigate this topic by analyzing the impacts of two large investment projects in Phuket: The Laguna PhuKet Golf Resort (LPGR) and The Viceroy Hotel & Residences, both with different characteristics, size, type and ownership structure.