Chinese arrivals to Thailand below expectation

Tourists visit Wat Arun temple in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: Reuters)

Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand expects 3.4-3.5 million visitors from China this year, below its target of 5 million set earlier this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said on November 24, despite a visa-free programme rolled out to attract Chinese tourists.

About 3.01 million Chinese tourists have visited the country so far this year, it said. China has been a key source market for Thailand’s vital tourism industry, with 11 million Chinese visitors in 2019, accounting for more than a quarter of foreign arrivals that year.

China’s slowing economy makes people worry about spending on tourism, said Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT’s Deputy Governor for international marketing in Asia and South Pacific.

A recent mall shooting in Bangkok also affected tourist confidence, he added.

Overall foreign tourist arrivals were at about 23.88 million since the start of the year, Chattan said.

The government is targeting 28 million arrivals versus a pre-pandemic record of nearly 40 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2019./.

VNA