Bangkok, 6 October, 2016 – Thailand is introducing a raft of initiatives to ensure a quality travel experience for Chinese tourists visiting the kingdom. These measures came after a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn on 5 October, 2016 at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Head Office in Bangkok.
The meeting was attended by heads of public and private tourism bodies including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Tourist Police, the Tourism Council of Thailand, the Association of Thai Travel Agents, the Thai Hotels Association, the Professional Tourist Guides Association of Thailand, and the Chinese-speaking Tour Guides Club of Thailand.
Deputy Prime Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn said, “This is the comprehensive cooperation of the related public and private organisations which will make Thailand become the preferred destination for Chinese tourists and will help Thai tourism to grow sustainably.”
The new initiatives are aimed at regulating the minimum price for group tours marketed to Chinese nationals and will include set prices per person for the cost of tours with gold, silver and platinum tour packages for Chinese tourists to choose; a standardised level of quality for attractions, products and tour services, and a programme to improve the training for tour guides and raise standards.
These initiatives are being implemented in the wake of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) and the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), to ensure cooperation on tourism matters and to put in place standardised mechanisms for communications and collaboration, joint operations, mutual understanding and training.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor said, “China is our biggest market for tourists and they come here to enjoy our attractions, scenery, culture and hospitality. With the cooperation from all concerned parties, these initiatives will help raise the standards and benefit Chinese tourists and the tourism industry in the long term.”
