Guangzhou, China, 21 December, 2016 – Thailand Deputy Prime Minister General Tansanak Patimapragorn took Thai tourism operators to the city of Guangzhou in the People’s Republic of China’s Guangdong Province, with the aim of raising awareness of Thailand’s tourism promotions and the kingdom’s high quality attractions.
The activity was jointly organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Association of Thailand Travel Agents (ATTA), and Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association (TCTA).
H.E. General Tansanak Patimapragorn said, “As Thailand’s high season takes off, we want to reach out to China and let travellers and tour agents know about the new promotions in place to make visiting Thailand easier than ever.
“We also want to assure tourist we have measures in place to see that Chinese tourists are looked after and that their trips meet the high standards they expect.”
The road show to Guangzhou took place on 21 December, 2016 bringing more than 80 operators of Thailand’s tourism-related products and services to meet with more than 300 travel agents and tour operators from Guangzhou and the vicinity.
The event was covered by over 80 members of local media in Guangzhou. During the event, discussions were held about the development of tourism and how the industry can boost the economies of both China and Thailand as well as to promote quality, sustainable tourism.
The Royal Thai Government’s stimulus policy of offering visa exemptions to foreign tourists as a New Year gift from the Thai people. From 1 December, 2016 to 28 February, 2017 there will be no fee for tourist visas issued by local embassies of consulates. In addition, the price of visas-on-arrival has been halved from 2,000 Baht to 1,000 Baht.
The New Year and Chinese New Year are popular times for Chinese tourists to visit Thailand. And in 2017 there are a range of other events aimed at attracting tourists from Asia.
These include the Thailand Tourism Festival that will take place in Lumpini Park, Bangkok from 25 to 29 January, 2017. This will allow visitors to get a taste of some of Thailand’s many attractions.
From 3 to 5 February, the Chiang Mai Flower Festival will be held in the Northern Thai city and people can enjoy some stunning plants and blooms.
The nationwide Songkran festival is also a big attraction for Chinese tourists and will be held from 12 to 15 April 2017.
General Tansanak said, “On behalf of the Royal Thai Government, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the people of China choosing Thailand as their favourite holiday destination.”
In 2015, a total of 7.9 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand spending on average 37,214 Baht per person on each trip. The average stay of a Chinese tourist is 7 days and the most popular destinations are Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Krabi and the island of Samui.
It is expected that by the end of 2016, 8.8 million Chinese tourists will have visited Thailand, an increase of 10 per cent over 2015.
