Fridae

Update: This event has been cancelled.

The first Gay Diving Week in Asia is being held from March 5-11, 2006, on Coral Island - a private island 15 minutes south of Phuket by boat.

The idea is similar to Gay Ski Week, which was first popularised in Europe - but centered on one of the best sports Asia has to offer, said organiser Freedom Travels, a Bangkok-based GLBT travel operator.

Nearly one year after the Indian Ocean tsunami ravaged the region, Phuket, the center of Thailand's Andaman Coast diving, is welcoming divers with renewed vigor. Reports from diver operators in Phuket and the surrounding areas are unified in stressing that reports of damage to the main dive sites have been exaggerated - and that these sites have actually suffered minimal damage. They are still largely in the pristine condition they were before the tsunami.

"Our discussions with dive operators in the area as well as our own inspections have told us that these sites are as spectacular as they've always been," Enscoe added.

The main Phuket sites, Shark Point, Racha islands, Phi Phi islands, Hin Daeng, and all others are being visited by dive operators running in the area as they always were. The main hurdle the industry is facing at the moment is lowered numbers of travelers to the area. To offset this, the Thai government has instituted promotional and economic packages to kick start the industry.

There has also been a concerted effort among hotels, dive operators and other businesses to offer travel incentives - and promote awareness of the actual conditions in the area. Travelers looking to find great value in exotic destinations would love Thailand's Andaman destinations for the special rates they now afford.

"Given the incentives and hospitality being offered at the Phuket destinations, and the revival of diving in the area, we felt this was an excellent time to launch Asia's first Gay Diving Week," he said.

Coral Island Resort and Hotel offers 64 villas and bungalows, and can accomodate about 120 people. Price starts at US$2000 per person for twinshare. Freedom Travels is established by an international team of marketing and events management professionals to provide the best in GLBT travel. For more info, visit http://www.freedom-travels.net