TAT Sees Positive Signs from Chinese Market, Confident of 7 Million Tourists This Year

Ms. Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), revealed that the organization welcomed Chinese tourists at Suvarnabhumi Airport during the Chinese New Year 2024 festival. Thailand is recognized as one of the largest Chinese New Year celebration destinations outside of China, reflecting the strong bonds between Thai and Chinese people. The TAT prepared welcome gifts for Chinese tourists, including lucky orange bags filled with Thai honey oranges symbolizing good fortune across four seasons. Tourists received gift cards worth over 8,000 baht from Siam Piwat and souvenirs from Srichand, arriving on Thai Airways flight TG 663 and Spring Airlines flight 9C7421 from Shanghai. Thapanee noted that February Chinese tourist arrivals could increase by over 50%, with projected total arrivals of 7 million this year, up from the original 6.7 million target. Despite challenges like the strong Thai baht, the Chinese market shows promising growth, with spending potentially exceeding 45 billion baht. The TAT continues to boost Chinese market tourism through promotional activities, partnering with online travel platforms and airlines to create attractive travel packages and special offers during holiday periods.