Tourism readies Chinese welcome

500 travel agents, media set to arrive

- MOLPASORN SHOOWONG

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and tourism operators are preparing to welcome 500 Chinese travel agents and media representatives at the end of this month, hoping to restore a market that has plunged 32% year-on-year.

The agency plans to monitor the impact of this event for one month to see if the market can avoid the worst-case estimate of 5 million arrivals this year.

Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, deputy governor for international marketing in Asia and South Pacific at TAT, said the sluggish Chinese market caused short-haul tourist arrivals to decline 9% year-on-year thus far in 2025, attributed to concerns over tourism safety in Thailand, global economic uncertainty, and competition from other Asian destinations.

In an effort to lift the Chinese market, the agency is hosting "Sawasdee Nihao", inviting more than 300 Chinese travel agents and 200 media representatives to survey tourism products during May 29-31.