TAT ramps up efforts to restore confidence among Chinese travellers

Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, TAT’s deputy governor for International Marketing in Asia and the South Pacific, said that although the Chinese outbound travel market is expected to recover close to the 150 million trips recorded in 2019 before the pandemic, recent statistics show a different picture. 

In the first four months of this year (January–April), only 1.65 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, representing a drop of approximately 30% compared to the same period last year.

This decline follows the impact of negative publicity surrounding crime affecting Thailand’s safety image, coupled with China’s economic slowdown, and US tariff policies under President Donald Trump that have affected Chinese purchasing power. Additionally, changes in Chinese travellers’ behaviour have contributed to the downturn.

In an effort to rebuild trust among Chinese tourists, TAT has partnered with Thai and Chinese private sectors to organise the “Sawasdee Ni Hao” event. The campaign aims to promote travel connections between Thailand and China and reassure visitors that Thailand remains a safe destination.

The event invites 600 Chinese representatives, including 400 travel agents and 200 media and key opinion leaders (KOLs), alongside 500 Thai sellers. It is expected to generate 350 million impressions and 5,000 business appointments. The opening ceremony on May 29 will be presided over by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Pattaraanong added that after the “Sawasdee Ni Hao” event, TAT will reassess the outlook for the Chinese tourist market. They hope to move away from the worst-case scenario of five million visitors, aiming instead for a best-case estimate of 6.9 million tourists this year, with an average daily spend of 5,300 baht and an average stay of five to six days per trip.

Nevertheless, the authority remains determined to push Chinese visitor numbers to meet the government’s target of eight million, although the golden era of 2019—when over 11 million Chinese tourists visited, generating more than 540 billion baht in revenue—remains a high benchmark.

“Currently, there are positive signs of recovery in the Chinese tourist market,” she said. “This is reflected by large wholesale companies in northern China consulting with TAT’s Beijing Office to bring agents for market exploration in Thailand, as Thailand remains one of their top destinations. The absence of Chinese tourists has also affected their business.”

Pattaraanong noted that another significant factor contributing to the decline in Chinese tourists to Thailand is the intense competition among countries for the Chinese market. 

According to 2024 statistics, 6.7 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, ranking second behind Japan, which received over 6.9 million Chinese visitors. Other Asian countries attracting Chinese tourists include South Korea with 4.4 million, Vietnam 3.7 million, Malaysia 3.2 million, and Singapore 3 million.

“The reason Chinese tourists increasingly prefer Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam is that these are seen as new destinations and have strong investment ties with China,” she said.

Data from the Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) reveals that in the first four months of 2025 (January–April), Japan welcomed 14.45 million foreign visitors, a 24.5% increase from the same period last year. 

Chinese tourists accounted for 3.13 million, up 68.1%, making them the second-largest group after South Korea’s 3.23 million visitors, which grew by 7.6%. Other notable arrivals included Taiwan (2.16 million, +11.5%), the US (1.04 million, +30.6%), Hong Kong (911,000, +12.8%), and Thailand with 520,000 visitors, an 11.6% increase.

Pattaraanong added that China is both a trading partner and a competitor to Thailand, as tourism is a vital economic driver that can quickly boost national economies. Currently, the Chinese government has introduced visa exemptions for several countries and is vigorously promoting domestic tourism.

At present, there are 136 daily scheduled flights between Thailand and China, offering a total seat capacity of 7.9 million for 2025, down from 8.8 million seats last year. The average load factor is approximately 75–76% per flight.

Allocation of 157 billion baht budget to support tourism

Previously, Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong stated that the ministry would request the Cabinet to allocate 3.18 billion baht from the 157 billion baht economic stimulus budget to support tourism.

The budget allocation will cover three tourism stimulus projects targeting both domestic and international markets.

• Half-price Thai travel scheme: this scheme offers 1 million rights with a budget of 1.78 billion baht. The government will subsidise 40% of travel expenses in major cities and 50% in secondary cities. Each person can use a maximum of six rights.
• Support for online travel agencies (OTA): this project aims to support 21 OTA platforms to boost Thai tourism. Success will be measured by the number of tourists arriving, reflecting economic benefits after project implementation. In 2024, a similar OTA support project with a budget of 270 million baht was estimated to generate around 10 billion baht in economic impact.
• Promotion of the Chinese tourist market: this initiative will collaborate with airlines in the Chinese market, supporting both regular and charter flights. Subsidies range from 300,000 to 350,000 baht per flight, conditional on a guaranteed passenger load factor of at least 85% per flight. More support will be allocated to charter flights, as regular flights have already benefited somewhat from the OTA joint promotion scheme.