The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) expects more than 400,000 Chinese tourists to travel to Thailand during next month’s Chinese New Year festival, generating 20 billion baht.
Atta president Vichit Prakobkosol said Thailand remains a top destination for Chinese tourists to celebrate the long national holiday period, called Chinese New Year, starting Feb 16.
He said both the number of Chinese arrivals and their spending during the holiday will increase by 10% from last year.
But the association predicts fewer charter flights between the two countries compared with previous years because airlines have introduced more scheduled direct flights between the two.
“More Chinese will travel with their families, friends or as couples, so they do not need tour groups or charter flights,” Mr Vichit said.
Last year, 9.8 million Chinese tourists travelled to Thailand, generating 480 billion baht in tourism revenue, up 11% and 9% in volume and value from the previous year.
“The total number of Chinese tourists is expected at 10.8-11 million for this year,” Mr Vichit said. “I believe that China will remain the largest source market for international arrivals over the next five years.”
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) predicts that total arrivals from mainland China will continue to increase this year and tourism receipts from the market should grow to 528 billion baht, up 10% from last year.
About the author
Zhong Li is a tech journalist who covers the latest developments in artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology. Zhong Li is passionate about exploring the ethical and social implications of emerging technologies.
