Phuket:The Andaman coast has begun its high season, marked by the arrival of high-value tourists from the United Kingdom. Virgin Atlantic launched its inaugural direct flight from London Heathrow Airport to Phuket, making it the airline's first destination in Southeast Asia.

According to Thai News Agency, 258 tourists from the UK arrived in Phuket on this morning's direct flight. They were warmly received by representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Phuket Airport authorities. This event marks the official launch of Virgin Atlantic's direct service to Phuket.

Ms. Jirawadee Khunsub, Deputy Governor for Europe, America, the Middle East, and Africa Markets at TAT, noted that Virgin Atlantic will offer three weekly flights to Phuket. Along with services by Norse Atlantic and TUI UK, this increases the number of direct flights from the UK to 11 per week, boosting Phuket's capacity by over 3,000 seats monthly. The new route targets premium tourists with high purchasing power, offering them extended vacations away from the cold weather, in line with TAT's Value over Volume strategy.