TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool explained that recent negative news had affected Thailand’s image, especially among Chinese tourists. The 'Trusted Thailand' initiative aims to rebuild trust, emphasising Thailand's commitment to providing high-quality, safe travel experiences.
Large-scale events like such as a MICE tour of nearly 1,000 Chinese visitors traveling by land, the Beihai–Ha Long cruise routes, and the charter flights between Shenzhen (China) and Van Don (Vietnam) have been a robust signal to the local tourism, which is striving to welcome 1.25 million international arrivals in Quarter 4 to complete its yearly target of 21.2 million visitors, including 4.09 million foreigners.
A major security overhaul has been launched with the ultimate aim of restoring Chinese visitor numbers in Thailand to levels similar to those recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign is designed to bridge Chinese traditions with the unique Thai lifestyle and charm through a series of activities combining digital promotions, cultural events, and influencer campaigns.
Thailand is making concerted efforts to revitalise its tourism sector, which accounts for around 20% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
According to Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Thapanee Kiatpaibool, the Middle East market is a supporting factor helping to boost tourism revenue as it currently has a growth of about 17% to 18%. Therefore, Thailand aims to increase the volume of arrivals from the Middle East and airlines.
The PM noted that 6.7 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand over the past year, reaffirming their position as Thailand’s largest visitor group.
The 90-day visa extension is part of a mutual visa exemption agreement between Thailand and China that kicked off on March 1, 2024. Under this agreement, citizens of both countries can enter visa-free for 30 days and extend their stay up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
Thai tourism operators have called on the government to reduce the visa-free length of stay for Chinese tourists from 60 days to 15 days to address concerns over illegal employment.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is revising its target for Asian visitors this year, focusing on potential markets to counter a decline in Chinese arrivals.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is boosting safety measures for foreign tourists, particularly efforts to restore confidence among tourists from China following the disappearance of Chinese actor Wang Xing.
The Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) has recently welcomed 400 Chinese tourists entering Vietnam through the Lao Cai International Border Gate on the first charter train under a cooperation programme between the Lao Cai Department of Tourism and VNR.
Authorities and agencies in the northern port city of Hai Phong has taken trade and tourism promotion activities to further attract investment and tourists from China.
Vietnam welcomed nearly 7.6 million international holiday-makers in the first five months of this year, up about 65% year-on-year. Chinese tourists top the number of visitors to Vietnam in May, the first time this has happened in five years.
The search and interest from China to Vietnam during the recent Lunar New Year of the Dragon has nearly returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, reaching 95% compared to 2020, which was before the pandemic.
