Thailand targets 5 million Chinese tourists

Although there are worries regarding the decline in China’s real estate market, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is optimistic that five million tourists from China will travel to Thailand by 2023. Despite the pandemic, many travelers still save money for overseas vacations. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn predicts increasing Chinese tourists as more people from the People’s Republic are keen to explore foreign destinations.

The agency aims to attract 5 million visitors from China, half the number recorded in 2019. This seems possible considering the huge population of China, which is over 1.4 billion. In the first five months of the year, Thailand has already welcomed over 1.1 million Chinese tourists.

TAT plans to promote tourism from the Middle Kingdom further and facilitate visa applications and document verification for Chinese travelers.

A creative approach to boosting local tourism is the implementation of “superstition tourism.” This initiative targets tourists who prefer shorter trips, including those from China. This fresh concept is projected to bring in 15 billion baht ($480 million) in revenue in 2021, a notable rise from 2019’s 10.8 billion baht ($346 million). The global superstition tourism market is set to triple in size by 2033, reaching a value of US$40.9 billion. This indicates substantial growth potential in the sector.