Call to free up travel from China

Thai-Chinese tourism Alliance Association is asking the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to adopt new measures to encourage more Chinese visitors to Thailand during 2011. Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association president, Vichit Prakobkoson, said: “We have new proposals that will encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Thailand,” he explained. “I am confident that if they are adopted we can raise Chinese arrivals to 1.3 million next year and increase earnings by Bt30,000 million.”

Mr Vichit was interviewed by Thai language news publications, last week, but in a follow-up interview with TTR Weekly he confirmed his proposal called for the hosting of a Thai soap opera on China’s nation-wide CCTV, extending visa exemption and supporting the establishment of more direct flights between China and Thailand. He intends to present proposals to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Chumpol Silapaarcha, later this month.

TCTA is recommending that the ministry offers financial incentives to charter airlines to either establish new routes between the two countries. It claims specific financial support for charter flights would be more practical than buying expensive TV advertising and the results could be measured to ensure a positive return on investment. He is suggesting the ministry offer airlines Bt50,000 for each charter flight to support sales promotions in the market.

“There are tour operators in China who are ready to offer more tours to Thailand, using charter flights, but they are waiting see the Thai government’s response to these proposals,” he said. According to Immigration Bureau’s statistics, January to November this year, 765,389 Chinese tourists visited Thailand, up 31.10% from 583,806 during the same period last year. Funding a Thai soap opera on CCTV, a  group of 19 channels, would build awareness, but the association believes more airline services are needed to convert awareness into bookings.

Another recommendation touches on visas and the need to introduce visa-free travel to Thailand. Chinese tourists have to pay Bt1,000 for a visa to visit Thailand, while Koreas and Japanese enjoy visa-free travel. In the past, the Immigration Bureau cited security concerns claiming that the absence of a visa process would encourage illegal immigration. The association wants to first expand charter flights from five states in China – Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Liaoning and Hubei.

There are several Chinese carriers operating scheduled flights from hubs to Thailand including Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines. From Thailand, there are only two carriers; Thai Airways International and Thai AirAsia. Thai Airway operates flights to six destinations in China including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu, and Xiamen.

Thai AirAsia is in the process of finalising time slots to kick off its Hangzhou service by January 2011. It currently operates services to Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It pulled out of Xiamen in 2008. The association also suggested that Chinese language directions should be added at airports to the English and Thai language sign boards, which would benefit Chinese visitors from around the region not just mainland China.

Source=ttrweekly