Thailand has been looking forward to the return of Chinese tourists following China’s recent announcement of easing restrictions on international flights.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told China’s official Xinhua news agency on Saturday (31 Dec) that his ministry was “very pleased to learn that China will implement new border control measures from January 8 onward,” adding that this was “long-awaited good news for Thailand”.
In 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for 28% of the nearly 40 million international tourists to the kingdom.
Minister Phiphat noted that relevant ministries such as those of tourism and sports, health, and transport are expected to coordinate and prepare for the upcoming surge in Chinese visitors.
According to the official data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), international arrivals in 2022 were expected to reach 11.5 million, exceeding the initial target of 10 million.
The minister also said the target set for 2023 was 20 million foreign visitors in Thailand, with the figure since raised to 25 million following China’s decision to ease pandemic measures. He added that authorities are confident in achieving the new target. (NNT)
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