Former TAT governor urges government to boost Chinese visitor numbers

The former Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor urged the government to reconsider its tourism strategy to improve the dwindling Chinese market. Predictions for this year suggest that arrivals from China will only total 26.8% of the 2019 level.

Former TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn suggested that the government should negotiate with China to secure more flight routes and slots for Thai airlines on a parity basis with Chinese airlines. This will not only enhance the recovery rate but also sustain reasonable airfares amidst the current economic downturn.

Between October 2023 and March 2024, referred to as the cool season, flights between Thailand and China have seen a 24.3% recovery, with 16,330 flights in comparison to 67,062 flights in 2019.

Up until November 20, Chinese tourist arrivals have reached nearly 3 million this year, which is a 26.8% recovery from 2019. The average daily arrival of Chinese tourists is 9,196, which falls short of the 30,000 per day recorded in 2019.

Former TAT governor Yuthasak stated that to attract more Chinese tourists, Thailand needs to address allegations of tourism scams and fraud. He suggested that the tourism industry should offer high-quality products and services and that all sectors should work together to restore tourist confidence.

Yuthasak also highlighted the importance of using key opinion leaders and influencers in marketing campaigns to attract Chinese tourists.

Chinese tourists decline

After the Thai government granted visa exemptions for Chinese travellers, there were 560,870 Chinese arrivals recorded between September 25 and November 20. This policy increased the average daily arrivals to 15,028, peaking at 18,040 per day on September 30. However, this was disrupted by the Siam Paragon shooting incident on October 3.

From October 4 to November 20, an average of 9,253 Chinese tourists visited Thailand each day, with the lowest number of arrivals, 7,837, recorded on October 24.

The TAT ex-governor commented on the importance of safety concerns in influencing travel decisions. He mentioned how negative news about Thailand continues to circulate on Chinese social media, with films about scam networks in Southeast Asia contributing to this.

Such negative publicity, coupled with a crackdown on Chinese grey businesses, has sparked concerns about Thailand’s stance towards China. Yuthasak however, pointed out that many Asian tourist destinations, not just Thailand, have seen a contraction in Chinese outbound markets, reported Bangkok Post.

In the first half of 2023, out of 40 million Chinese travelling abroad, 25%, or 10 million, visited Macau and Hong Kong. The former governor noted the slowdown in the Chinese economy, high unemployment, and limited spending as factors resulting in reduced overseas travel demand.

Yuthasak concluded by stating his expectation of 26.6 million foreign arrivals to Thailand this year.