Phuket Vegetarian Festival generates B1.501bn in tourism revenue

Phuket's 2026 Vegetarian Festival generated approximately B1.501 billion in tourism revenue from 145,040 Thai visitor trips, exceeding the B1.4bn target, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Phuket office.

The nine-day festival, held from 10 to 18 October, featured religious processions, sacred ceremonies and vegetarian food. The tourism authority said the figures highlighted the event's role as both a cultural heritage celebration and a reason for visitors to travel to Phuket.

Key activities included the Iew Keng procession around Phuket town and the night-time Haem See Iew Keng procession, which brought together processions from 40 shrines. An exhibition, “Sattha – The Power of Faith”, presented the festival's history under the theme “201 Years of Living Heritage”.

Other activities included a tour using Phuket's traditional pongthong bus, visits to nine shrines in Phuket's old town and vegetarian street food on Ranong Road. The Tourism Authority of Thailand also prepared an online guide in Thai and English, covering the festival's history, ceremonies, schedules for 40 shrines, religious tourism routes and procession maps.

The Phuket office said it would continue developing the festival as a cultural tourism product, with the aim of encouraging visitors to learn about and participate in local traditions while supporting businesses and communities.