Thailand partners with Labubu to attract 8 million Chinese tourists

A tourism campaign featuring art toy mascot Labubu aims to draw eight million Chinese visitors and attract art toy enthusiasts globally, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

The TAT Governor, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, stated that Labubu’s selection as a promoter for Thai tourism is expected to enhance Thailand’s recognition among international tourists, in addition to the Chinese market. The art toy market has seen significant global growth, supporting this initiative.

The TAT yesterday, July 1, hosted a welcome ceremony for Pop Mart’s Labubu mascot, marking its visit to Thailand from July 1 to July 4. During this visit, Labubu will film a travel promotional video at prominent Bangkok landmarks, including Siam Square, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and Lumpini Muay Thai Stadium.

In conjunction with the campaign, Chinese online travel agents will offer tour packages to Chinese tourists, aiming to sell at least 20,000 packages to destinations such as Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chon Buri.

Vice-President of Pop Mart International Group Karen Chen highlighted Labubu’s popularity in Thailand, noting it as one of the company’s top-selling mascots.

“A new Pop Mart featuring a Labubu theme will be launched at Mega Bangna mall on July 5.”

By the end of the year, Pop Mart plans to operate six stores and 20 vending machines in Thailand, potentially including one at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

Thapanee mentioned that the prototype for Thailand’s special edition of Labubu will be ready by October, with sales starting shortly thereafter.

To address the sluggish outbound travel sentiment in China, the TAT intends to launch additional campaigns, including Nihao Months from September to October. This comes in response to the first half of the year seeing only 3.5 million Chinese arrivals, less than 50% of the government’s target of eight million.

The TAT also reached out to the rights holder of Butter Bear, another popular mascot that has garnered more than 3.9 million likes and nearly 300,000 followers on TikTok.

The collaboration between the TAT and Labubu marks the mascot’s first international tour outside China. While the Butter Bear mascot, beloved by tourists, continues to gain social media traction, further enhancing Thailand’s appeal as a tourist destination, reported Bangkok Post.