Current location:style >>
Thailand looks to woo 8 mln Chinese tourists
style43People have gathered around
IntroductionThailand's tourism industry has started looking up. With consumer spending at this year's traditiona ...
Thailand's tourism industry has started looking up. With consumer spending at this year's traditional Loy Krathong Festival expected to hit an eight-year high, the country's tourism authority has announced that it aims to attract more than 8 million Chinese tourists next year.
At a news conference on Tuesday, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, said it would continue to promote the country as one of the world's most popular travel destinations, and aims to attract more foreign tourists, especially from China.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool revealed that the authority is confident the total foreign arrivals this year will exceed its target of 25 million people.
Although the tourism authority had lowered its expectations of Chinese tourist arrivals from the previous 5 to 7 million to about 3.4 million this year, the authority estimated that Chinese arrivals next year will rise to more than 8 million due to an increase in the number of flights and better economic conditions.
"Thailand is well-known for its diversified tourism experiences and great services. And we will strengthen efforts to ensure the safety of tourists to further attract foreign visitors, especially from China," Thapanee said, adding that Chinese tourists may help to generate 452 billion baht ($13 billion) in tourist receipts next year.
For the past few days, people from all over Thailand have been taking part in the Loy Krathong Festival to celebrate the full moon. Residents and tourists gathered in the evening at lakes, rivers, canals, and beaches to pay their respects to the river goddess by floating krathongs — banana leaf "rafts" decorated with flowers, incense and candles.
Top destinations
The spending for this year's Loy Krathong Festival is estimated to increase by 3.3 percent from the previous year to 10 billion baht, according to a survey by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
Although Thailand faces intense competition from other countries that have also offered visa exemptions to Chinese travelers, Thapanee said the country is still among the top destinations for tourists from the Chinese mainland.
China was Thailand's biggest source of international visitors before the COVID-19 pandemic, accounting for nearly 11 million arrivals in 2019, according to official statistics.
This year, however, Malaysians contributed the most to total foreign arrivals at 3.66 million people so far, followed by Chinese (3.03 million), South Koreans (1.43 million), Indians (1.4 million) and Russians (1.24 million).
In a bid to attract more visitors, the Thai government announced a temporary visa exemption for a 30-day stay for Chinese and Kazakh nationals. It started on Sept 25 and is scheduled to expire on Feb 29 next year.
Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT's deputy governor for international marketing in Asia and South Pacific, said in a recent interview with Bangkok Post newspaper that the authority is planning a media trip to invite more than 100 Chinese key opinion leaders to explore new activities and destinations in Thailand, along with testing safety measures for tourists.
Tags:
Reprint:Friends are welcome to share on the Internet, but please indicate the source of the article when reprinting it.“Stellar Scope news portal”。http://newzealand.highlanderdistrict.org/article-56f799913.html
Related articles
Kristin Cavallari, 37, ignores critics of her age
styleKristin Cavallari is enjoying a romantic rendezvous with her much younger cowboy lover Mark Estes in ...
【style】
Read moreChina State Shipbuilding Corp wins world's first ammonia
styleChina State Shipbuilding Corp has obtained an order to sell its ammonia powered container ships to B ...
【style】
Read moreChina's autonomous driving enters fast lane with commercial operations
style* On Aug. 8, driverless robotaxi services were launched in designated areas in the Chinese cities of ...
【style】
Read more
Popular articles
- Travis Kelce downs whiskey shot on slice of bread at Kelce Jam without Taylor Swift
- China registers 415 million motor vehicles, 500 million drivers
- China's NEV exports rise on supply chain strengths, policy incentives
- Retailers get into celebratory mood
- Britain's new bonkers EV: Callum Skye is an £80k electric buggy built in Warwickshire
- China mulls sending spacecraft to edge of solar system: scientist
Latest articles
Candice Swanepoel stuns in a form
China State Shipbuilding Corp wins world's first ammonia
Why foreign enterprises double down on investment in China
China's Earth science satellite transmits images home
California congressman urges closer consultation with tribes on offshore wind
Semiconductor industry to overcome challenges
LINKS
- Another politically progressive prosecutor in the San Francisco Bay Area faces recall election
- West Virginia voters must pick from GOP candidates who dispute 2020 election outcome
- Díaz's 2
- Anitta defends her Afro
- Australian gov't confirms 2nd consecutive budget surplus
- UN resolution to commemorate the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia sparks opposition from Serbs
- China and Cambodia begin 15
- Teenager Kelsy scores again to lead Cincinnati over Atlanta United 1
- Macquarie Bank to go 'fully digital' and ditch cash within days
- 7 postal workers charged with mail theft from Rhode Island distribution hub