Thailand is no longer the most visited country for Chinese, as Japan took top spot last year, reports the Bangkok Post.
The number of Chinese visitors to Japan reached 6.98 million in 2024, growing 188%, according to the Japan National Tourism Organisation.
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry reported earlier 6.73 million Chinese visited last year.
Some Chinese tourists are concerned about human traffickers using Thailand as a transit hub.
Pattaraanong Na Chiangmai, TAT deputy governor for international marketing in Asia and South Pacific, clarified that job scam networks in the region target job seekers not tourists, assuring potential visitors to continue planning their trips.
The agency issued a statement at its five offices in China this week, telling tourism partners Thailand has measures to safeguard tourists and encouraged them to continue working with business partners in the country as usual.
In April, the TAT plans to launch the ‘Grand Songkran, Grand Privileges’ campaign, partnering with hotels, airlines, department stores and amusement parks to offer promotions for all markets, she said.
As the government upgraded its tourism target this year from 39mn foreign arrivals to 40mn, she said the TAT has to adjust the plan based on the situation. Chinese arrivals might impact the figures by at least 10% during the Chinese New Year in the final week of January.
For Northeast Asian markets, Ms Pattaraanong said South Korea and Japan could compensate for the Chinese shortfall this year as arrivals from these two nations are predicted to increase from last year.
In 2024, Thailand tallied 1.8mn South Korean arrivals, prompting the agency to target 2mn from the market this year.
The South Korean market has the potential to distribute income to more regions, with direct flights to Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Meanwhile, the Japanese market posted a solid performance with 1.05mn arrivals, exceeding the target of 800,000-900,000, according to the TAT. The agency plans to talk with its three offices in Japan to set a new target for this year.
Despite weak Chinese demand, the TAT is still promoting this market by strengthening cooperation to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China this year, launching promotional campaigns with online travel agents to lure tourists.
Chuwit Sirivejkul, TAT regional director of marketing for East Asia, said the baht’s surge in 2024 had a huge impact on the Chinese market, while the yen remained weak for the whole year.
He said the favourable exchange rate in Japan increased visitors from China, along with lower airfares due to the shorter distance compared with Thailand.