6 Elephants added to camp anticipating Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists are returning to Thailand, and with it, operators at elephant sanctuaries and shows are expecting a swell in customers. The Pang Chang Kamala Elephant Camp in Phuket has recently bought six new elephants to keep up with the rise in bookings after the Lunar New Year.

The camp offers a variety of activities for the new tourists streaming in. They offer activities such as elephant showers, as well as new programs such as elephant care. They also offer the often controversial elephant ride, which many argue constitutes animal cruelty and abuse.

Camp owner Wittaya Taweeros explained that they have increased the number of elephants with the new six making a total of 25 elephants on-site. This allows the elephant camp to accommodate up to 300 guests per day, a significant increase from 200 customers a day previously.

“As the number of tourists has increased, we’re ready to welcome them, also with our newly bought elephants. We’ve already got 60% to 70% bookings after the Lunar New Year from the same agent we worked with before the pandemic.”

The Pang Chang Kamala Elephant Camp’s expansion and new programs reflect the growing demand for tourism in Thailand and particularly the return of Chinese visitors, a demographic who especially enjoy elephant activities. The government has predicted 25 million international tourists will travel to Thailand in 2023 with five million expected to come from the newly reopened China.

Before The Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese tourists were the single biggest demographic travelling to Thailand. They made up nearly one-third of the 40 million foreign tourists to Thailand in 2019. Now officials are looking to the influx of Chinese tourists to boost the quick recovery of Thailand’s previously ailing tourism industry.