Chinese are back on Thailand trail

BANGKOK Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports says Chinese tourists visiting Thailand could exceed 5 million possibly rising as high as 5.5 million next year.
Tourism and Sports Minister, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, said: “Tourism dropped due to the political situation, earlier this year, but it is now recovering in the last quarter …the ministry and related tourism organisations are promoting Thainess to woo tourists back to the country.”
She added the three month visa fee exemption for Chinese visitors expired, 8 November and was not extended because the market had made a recovery.
Chinese photosThe minister expects 5 to 5.5 million Chinese tourists to visit Thailand, next year, compared with 4 to 4.5 million this year.
Regarding the now expired visa fee waiver, Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, said ending the fee exemption would not discourage tourists.
“The measure worked well to stimulate Chinese tourists travelling to the kingdom…in October Chinese tourists travelling with the association’s members increased 113.78% to 121,186 visits.”
He added: “Although the government does not consider the extension of this policy, the market should continue to recover. However, we should monitor advance booking during December to January next year to see how the market performs.”
“If the Chinese market drops we will make another presentation to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Tourism Authority of Thailand to bring back the visa fee waiver.”
For the first nine months of this year, 3,097,436 Chinese tourists visited Thailand, a decrease of 17.37% from 3,748,703 visits during the same period last year, according to the tourism ministry’s latest data.
Last year, 4,705,173 Chinese tourists visited Thailand an increase of 68.83% from 2,786,860 in 2012.

sourced:ttrweekly.com