Thailand is reported to be one of the top five destinations for Chinese tourists following the lifting of pandemic-era regulations, indicating an upbeat outlook for the nation’s tourism industry during the peak travel season.
According to Government Spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, a report from Chinese media outlet The Global Times ranked Thailand fourth among the most popular destinations for mainland Chinese tourists. Coming in at first, second and third place are South Korea, Japan and the United States, respectively, with France ranking fifth in the data provided by Variflight civil aviation data service.
So far this month, international flights out of China have increased by 200% over the same period last month and this trend is expected to continue over the remainder of the year. The spokesperson noted the arrival of more Chinese tourists will greatly benefit the Thai tourism industry, as Chinese visitors accounted for a quarter of all international visitors before the pandemic.
International arrivals by all modes of transportation totaled 1.05 million last month, up 118% from a monthly average of 482,719 arrivals from January to June. An increase in international arrivals and signs of recovery in the aviation sector have been encouraging for the tourism industry and the overall Thai economy in the second half of the year.
