Chinese travellers turn into a driving force for tourism in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region

BANGKOK- Mekong Tourism Forum 2013 Thematic “The Rise of the Chinese Traveller: Optimizing the impacts for the GMS” in Guilin provided an opportunity to look back at the irresistible growth of the Chinese Market towards Greater Mekong Sub-region countries.

In 2012, the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (all countries excluding China) generated 36.85 million international arrivals. International arrivals to Yunnan and Guangxi represent approximately an additional 6.8 million international arrivals with Guangxi generating an inbound flow of 3.5 million travellers and Yunnan of 3.3 million.

According to data collected by PATA mPower from the various GMS National Tourism Offices, Chinese travellers visiting GMS countries (excluding Guangxi and Yunnan provinces which are considered as domestic destinations) reached last year 4.79 million over a total of 8.1 million for all Southeast Asia. Countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region represented a market share of 59% of all arrivals from Chinese into Southeast Asia.

China Arrivals to GMS Countries (excluding Yunnan and Guangxi) from 2009 to 2012

Thailand is the GMS’s most popular destination for Chinese travellers with total arrivals topping 2.8 million in 2012. It is followed by Vietnam with 1.4 million arrivals in 2012. Between 2009 and 2012, China outbound to the GMS grew the most to Thailand, up by 259%, followed by Vietnam, up by 165% and Cambodia, up by 160.5%. (Source: PATA mPower).

In a presentation in Guilin this week, PATA special adviser John Koldowski indicated that Thailand is likely to gain market shares within the GMS over the next five years, rising from a total of 58% of all arrivals in 2012 to over 60% by 2017 while Cambodia would experience the strongest progression from 7% in 2012 to 14.4% by 2017. Vietnam’s market share would however get down from 29% to approximately 20%. This is also due to the rise of Myanmar and the opening of more cross-border check points all across the GMS.

Sourced: TravelDailyNews