Thai Tourism Marketing Push for Post Chinese New Year Holiday

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Suvarnabhumi Airport welcomes 190 tourists arriving from Haikou, People's Republic of China, on January 29, 2025.

BANGKOKThailand’s tourism sector faces mixed signals as Chinese tourist arrivals show both growth and concerning trends during the Lunar New Year period. While Airports of Thailand (AOT) reports strong overall numbers with 769,195 Chinese passengers expected during the festival, marking a 22.6% increase from last year, industry insiders note some worrying patterns.

The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) reports a 10-20% decline in Chinese independent travelers, with an even sharper drop in group tours. Despite daily arrival numbers exceeding 20,000 visitors during the holiday season, tourism officials are preparing for additional challenges in the coming months.

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Tourists enthusiastically watch and photograph the Golden Dragon performance, featuring a 59-meter-long dragon, on Pattaya Walking Street on January 29, 2025.

“While the current situation remains satisfactory, we’re preparing for the post-vacation period,” says TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, maintaining the authority’s ambitious target of welcoming 8 million Chinese tourists in 2025. Recent concerns about scam operations targeting Chinese citizens have caused minor market disruptions, particularly affecting first-time travelers from second-tier Chinese cities.”

In response, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is launching a comprehensive marketing campaign focusing on direct engagement with travel agents and specific regional markets. Pattaranong Na Chiangmai, TAT’s deputy governor for Asia and the South Pacific, emphasizes that Chinese tourists heavily rely on travel agencies and charter flights, making these channels crucial for rebuilding trust.

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The strategy includes:

  • Direct engagement with Chinese travel agents
  • Targeted promotions in key provinces
  • Special discount campaigns
  • Enhanced word-of-mouth communication channels

Thailand’s aviation sector shows promising recovery signs, with AOT forecasting 24,599 flights during the Chinese New Year period, a 16.7% increase from the previous year. International flights are expected to rise by 22.1%, indicating robust growth in overseas travel demand.

Adding to potential positive momentum, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s upcoming visit to China from February 5-8, including a meeting with President Xi Jinping, could help restore confidence. ATTA officials believe this diplomatic engagement, combined with China’s strong information distribution networks, could accelerate the recovery of tourist confidence in Thailand as a safe destination.

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