There is not much we know of the Eastern European nation, Kazakhstan, besides following Borat’s exploits across the globe. However, we can already assume that Sasha Baron Cohen’s caricature is most probably way off the mark. One way or another, we are going to find more info regarding our Kazakhstani brothers and sisters as Russian arrival figures for Phuket have dropped off a bit over the past year and a new plan is in the works to encourage more tourists from Central Asian countries to visit Phuket.
The world renowned travel company, Pegasus, is about to start targeting Kazakhstani tourists to fill up empty seats on tour buses left behind by their Russian counterparts. “This is not a first time tourists from Kazakhstan have come to Phuket [with us], so it is not hard for us to bring more in,” Bakis Colpan, the Reservation and Contracting Manager of Pegas, recently told The Phuket News.
At one time in the not-too-distant-past, it was difficult to get Kazaks to come to Phuket as the airline infrastructure simply wasn’t in place, as there were no direct flights from there to Phuket.
Landmass-wise, Kazakhstan is a large country, and Pegas is looking to bring in 4,500 to 5,000 passengers each month to Phuket. “We estimate about 25,000 people coming to Phuket from [November to the end of April],” Mr Bakis said.
