THE recent steady increase of Chinese tourists to Thailand has been observed by a Thai expert, who views it as a positive sign for the Thai tourism industry and the broader Thai economy.
From Jan 1 to April 23, over 737,000 Chinese tourists visited Thailand, marking a 30-fold increase from the same period last year, according to Kevalin Wangpichayasuk, assistant managing director of Kasikorn Research Centre.
This increase came after China optimised its Covid-19 restriction measures late last year.
The daily average of Chinese tourist arrivals is currently around 10,000, and this trend is expected to continue, Kevalin said in a written interview with Xinhua on Thursday.
“We view that the number of Chinese tourists in 2023 will become the highest of all nationalities, as it was in the pre-pandemic era,” she added.
However, she noted that the Thai tourism industry, which eagerly anticipates the return of Chinese tourists, also recognised that the preferences of Chinese tourists have changed.
According to Kevalin, the majority of current arrivals are young travellers and small group tours who are showing an increasing preference for local food and fashion, as well as visiting new travel destinations such as secondary cities.
Thailand has implemented measures such as expanding international flights between China and Thailand and offering visa-on-arrival services to attract Chinese tourists. — Xinhua
