© Reuters. Vacationers go to the Large Buddha statue in Phuket, Thailand July 3, 2023. REUTERS/Jorge SIlva/File Photograph
BANGKOK (Reuters) -Thailand expects 3.4-3.5 million guests from China this yr, under its goal, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) stated on Friday, regardless of rolling out a visa-free programme to draw Chinese language vacationers.
About 3.01 million Chinese language vacationers have visited the nation up to now this yr, it stated. China has been a key supply marketplace for Thailand’s very important tourism business, with 11 million Chinese language guests in pre-pandemic 2019, accounting for greater than 1 / 4 of all arrivals that yr.
“China’s slowing economy makes people worry about spending on tourism,” Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT’s deputy governor for worldwide advertising and marketing in Asia and South Pacific, instructed a briefing.
A latest mall capturing in Bangkok additionally affected vacationer confidence, he added.
The TAT in June had anticipated about 4-4.4 million Chinese language vacationers this yr, he stated. That was down from the federal government’s preliminary goal of 5 million.
Total overseas vacationer arrivals had been at about 23.88 million for the reason that begin of the yr, Chattan stated.
The federal government is focusing on 28 million arrivals versus a pre-pandemic file of practically 40 million overseas vacationer arrivals in 2019 who spent 1.91 trillion baht ($54.37 billion).
“The Chinese side has always encouraged China and Thailand to strengthen tourism cooperation,” stated Mao Ning, a spokesperson on the Chinese language overseas ministry.
“We, like Thailand, look forward to more mutual visits of tourists to each other’s countries,” stated Mao, when requested at a daily information convention on Thailand’s vacationer estimate.
($1 = 35.13 baht)
