(Bangkok, 24th) As China-Japan bilateral relations cool down, Chinese tourists who originally planned to spend the New Year in Japan are turning to Southeast Asian markets, with Thailand emerging as the main beneficiary. The latest data shows that China has remained Thailand’s largest source of tourists for seven consecutive weeks.
According to Bloomberg citing data from the Thai Ministry of Tourism, for the week ending February 22, Chinese tourists accounted for 23% of total inbound numbers, almost back to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Earlier this year, that proportion was only 9%, indicating a significant increase.
Although the number of Chinese arrivals per week has slightly declined in recent weeks, the figures remain noticeably higher than those from Malaysia, which topped the list most of last year, solidifying China’s position as the largest source country.
The tourism industry is crucial to Thailand’s economy, accounting for about one-fifth of GDP. Before the pandemic, Thailand received about 40 million tourist visits annually, but it has yet to fully recover, partly because of the slow rebound in outbound Chinese tourism.
In addition, last year the kidnapping case of Chinese actor Wang Xing in Thailand temporarily affected some Chinese tourists’ confidence. On top of that, fierce competition from popular destinations such as Vietnam and South Korea also presents challenges for Thailand’s tourism sector.
However, recent geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Tokyo have changed regional travel patterns. During the Lunar New Year holiday, Chinese authorities advised citizens to reconsider travel to Japan, making Thailand one of the replacement choices.
Data shows that from January 1 to February 22 this year, Thailand received about 5.9 million foreign tourists, with Chinese visitors accounting for 16%. Malaysia, Russia, India, and South Korea also made it into the top five source countries.
Despite the strong rebound in Chinese travel, the overall number of inbound tourists is still down about 5% compared with the same period last year, showing that Thailand’s tourism recovery still faces challenges.
Although the number of Chinese arrivals per week has slightly declined in recent weeks, the figures remain noticeably higher than those from Malaysia, which topped the list most of last year, solidifying China’s position as the largest source country.
The tourism industry is crucial to Thailand’s economy, accounting for about one-fifth of GDP. Before the pandemic, Thailand received about 40 million tourist visits annually, but it has yet to fully recover, partly because of the slow rebound in outbound Chinese tourism.
In addition, last year the kidnapping case of Chinese actor Wang Xing in Thailand temporarily affected some Chinese tourists’ confidence. On top of that, fierce competition from popular destinations such as Vietnam and South Korea also presents challenges for Thailand’s tourism sector.
However, recent geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Tokyo have changed regional travel patterns. During the Lunar New Year holiday, Chinese authorities advised citizens to reconsider travel to Japan, making Thailand one of the replacement choices.
Data shows that from January 1 to February 22 this year, Thailand received about 5.9 million foreign tourists, with Chinese visitors accounting for 16%. Malaysia, Russia, India, and South Korea also made it into the top five source countries.
Despite the strong rebound in Chinese travel, the overall number of inbound tourists is still down about 5% compared with the same period last year, showing that Thailand’s tourism recovery still faces challenges.