The resort island of Phuket in Thailand says it plans to welcome vaccinated tourists by October - and travelers would be able to bypass the country's mandatory two-week quarantine, Randy Thanthong-Knight reported for Bloomberg.

Thailand reopened to foreign travelers in October with a new special tourist visa program, but tourists are still required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon arrival.

Phuket, one of Thailand's biggest tourism destinations, plans to make it easier for tourists who've gotten their COVID-19 vaccines to vacation on the picturesque island, which is known for its beaches, nightlife, and luxury resorts. The island plans to buy enough vaccine doses to inoculate 70% of its roughly 400,000 residents by September 1 to reach herd immunity in the local population.

The undertaking is to be funded by multiple business groups including the Phuket Chamber of Commerce and the Phuket Tourist Association, per the Bloomberg report.