As Phuket grapples with a surge in post-pandemic tourism, the island faces a delicate balance between growth and preservation.

“License to Clean,” a catamaran that patrols the bay, removes hundreds of kilograms of debris daily.

Luxury and eco-conscious living align at Banyan Tree Phuket.

A breathtaking panorama of Kamala Bay’s turquoise waters.

Phuket has always been a place of contrasts. Its beaches and islands are legendary, attracting millions of travelers a year, while its infrastructure and fragile ecosystems strain under the weight of that popularity. Today the island is once again in flux. Post-pandemic tourism has surged back to life, yet the question of how to manage this growth sustainably is more pressing than ever. Waste volumes are soaring, coral reefs are fragile, and land values have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many locals. Still, there is a sense of cautious optimism, carried by hoteliers, event curators, and community advocates who are intent on building a different future for the island.

“Phuket is at a crossroads,” says Dr Mark Watson, Group Director of Sustainability and Impact at Banyan Group. “On the one hand, it remains one of Asia’s most visited destinations, with a strong recovery in arrivals. On the other hand, this popularity places pressure on natural ecosystems and infrastructure.” For Watson, sustainability cannot be treated as a niche. It is fundamental to Phuket’s long-term competitiveness and resilience. That belief has been embedded in Banyan Group’s work since it transformed a scarred tin mine into Laguna Phuket, an integrated resort framed by lagoons, wetlands, and community programs that continue to ripple outward. “These actions go beyond philanthropy,” Watson adds. “They are about embedding positive impact into the destination’s social and ecological fabric.”

Bjorn Courage, General Manager of InterContinental Phuket Resort and President of the Phuket Hotels Association, agrees that the island is at a turning point. “Visitor numbers are surging, but this momentum is matched by a push for meaningful, measurable sustainability. It is a race between expansion and smart adaptation, and we are seeing promising strides on both fronts.” Waste remains the most visible challenge, with more than 1,000 tonnes produced daily. New treatment facilities, beach runoff management, and expanded recycling partnerships are beginning to make an impact, but scaling them fast enough is difficult.

Yet innovation and partnerships are offering new models. InterContinental Phuket has introduced the island’s first Oklin Food Waste Composter, transforming kitchen waste into compost that is shared with schools and farmers. Its Proud Kamala program employs residents to maintain Kamala Beach year-round, while a catamaran named License to Clean patrols the bay, removing hundreds of kilograms of debris daily. Inside the resort, operations focus on reducing single-use plastics, cutting energy use, and sourcing food locally, with its fine-dining restaurant Jaras embracing hyper-local harvests, zero-waste practices, and menus shaped by biodiversity. “We want to show that high-end tourism and healthy ecosystems can coexist if we design for it and invest with intent,” Courage explains.

Event curator Alexis Lhoyer, founder of Chab Events, offers another perspective on Phuket’s shifting narrative. Since 2016 his company has been crafting incentive travel programs and company retreats for luxury, consulting, life sciences, and retail groups. He sees both the allure and the urgency of change. “Tourism in Phuket has rebounded hard post-COVID, although now it is slowing down. Visitor numbers are still up sharply across Asia, yet that bounce comes with a weight: garbage rising to 1,000 tonnes a day, overflowing landfills, some beaches flecked with plastic, infrastructure creaking under its own success. Simultaneously, the island is carving out a different narrative. Its Old Town has pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2030, hotels are chasing green certifications, and creative financing and local partnerships are nudging the needle toward sustainability. It is a fragile pivot, not marketing, but survival dressed in intention.”

For Lhoyer, what is striking is the duality in local sentiment. “There is clarity in the way local voices speak: an economy that is too hot, land priced beyond reach, and a landfill that is too full. Trash is not abstract, it is in alleys and the drains. Yet there is hope too. Local foundations push green standards, rescue surpluses from hotel buffets, and sustainable wellness retreats are opening and championing circular practices to lighten Phuket’s footprint. The lens is neither nostalgic nor pessimistic, it is resolute, aware that what is built must be held lightly.”

That tension between fragility and resilience has marked Phuket’s arc over the past decade. Once defined by mass tourism and constant development, the island was forced into stillness during the pandemic. The quiet revealed both the ecological costs of overdevelopment and the possibility of recovery. As arrivals surged back, a subtle shift became visible. “What was once tourism first has softened,” Lhoyer reflects. “Clients ask for intentionality, and to be selective, sustainable, and more premium.”

An aerial view of InterContinental Phuket Resort.

Jaras leads the way with a celebrated zero-waste dining philosophy.

An elegant dining setting at Jaras Restaurant.

For Watson, maintaining that balance requires a recognition that cultural integrity is part of what makes Phuket attractive. Most Banyan associates are from Phuket and nearby provinces, and the group integrates local food sourcing, crafts, and community enterprises into the guest experience. “Engagement is not one-way,” Watson says. “By listening to our communities and supporting skills development, we ensure that tourism creates shared value. It is this balance between guest expectations and community well-being that sustains both our brand and Phuket as a destination.”

Courage echoes the same people-first approach. “Through Proud Kamala, we don’t just keep the beach clean. We give residents stable jobs and pride in maintaining their environment. It is a shared responsibility with shared rewards.” His team also sources directly from nearby farms and small producers, tying menus to local harvests and creating steady income streams for farmers. Compost from the resort’s food waste system is donated to schools, helping children grow vegetables while reinforcing the importance of circular systems.

The way forward is complex and no single operator can drive it alone. Watson highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration. “Partnerships are key. We collaborate with NGOs, local universities, and government agencies to restore coral reefs, monitor water quality, and conserve mangroves, as well as coastal protection against future climate impacts. The lesson we have learned is that effective ecosystem protection requires long-term investment, consistent science-based monitoring, and collaboration across sectors.”

Courage believes that innovation can scale faster if Phuket embeds global standards such as those set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council into local policy and measures progress through transparent reporting. “Circular systems and scaled clean-up initiatives must become the norm. The more localized the solution, the stronger the collective impact.”

Phuket’s story is being watched closely by the rest of Asia. Its beaches, reefs, and towns are not only the foundation of a tourism economy but also symbols of what is at stake when popularity collides with ecological limits. The island’s hoteliers, event curators, and community leaders are proving that resilience is possible, but only if all stakeholders share responsibility. Phuket is no longer just competing for visitor numbers, it is competing for its own future. If it succeeds in aligning prosperity with sustainability, it may well become a model for the region and beyond.

Trash, Tourism, and Transformation: The Future of Phuket

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