A comparative case analysis of two beach resorts in Phuket, Thailand.

Abstract

Tourism in Southeast Asia has expanded rapidly in recent years. Previously, there was little control over the development of beach resorts in the region. Beach resort development was characterised by ad hoc development of individual hotel projects rather than attention to the overall development of the area. Recent trends towards resort development have moved towards a more controlled development of the resort area. Such resorts often contain a residential property and also use the land in other complementary ways. These resorts fall within a larger master plan and seek to maximise the benefits for all the interested parties: the resort guest, developer, hotel operator, government and, most importantly, the local residents. Prior research and literature on integrated resorts seem to indicate the benefits of adopting an integrated resort development approach over an ad hoc one. Our study aims to compare the ad hoc development beach resort model of Patong Beach with the integrated beach resort model adopted at Laguna Phuket Beach Resort on the island of Phuket, Thailand. We aim to show the key differences in the impacts caused by the two types of resort development using specific indicators. These indicators include physical, social and business impacts. In particular, we would like to highlight if the solutions that integrated resort development proposes in theory is indeed so in the Phuket context.