Thailand expects return of Chinese tourists during Lunar New Year holiday
Thailand expects return of Chinese tourists during Lunar New Year holiday
Thai tour operators expect tourism from China to restart in late January 2023 during the Lunar New Year holiday, when China will gradually lift its COVID-19 restrictions.
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| Tourists at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, in June 2020, when it reopened to visitors amid the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. |
| Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN |
Speaking at a recent event organized by the Federation of Capital Market Organizations of Thailand (Fetco), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said his agency has a plan to boost tourism from China to Thailand next month or Q1 2023 at the latest.
China is expected to allow its citizens to travel abroad from the Lunar New Year holiday, he said, adding that Thailand hopes to be on the list of countries benefiting from this relaxation.
Excluding Chinese visitors, Thailand expects to receive 11 million foreign visitors this year and 20 million in 2023. The country welcomed its 10 millionth foreign tourist of the year 2022 on December 10.
Yuthasak Supasorn also expects the country’s tourism receipts in 2023 to reach 2.38 trillion baht (over $68 billion), or 80% of the 3 trillion baht recorded in 2019, i.e. before the health crisis. .
However, he highlighted major challenges for the country’s tourism industry, including the global economic slowdown, currency fluctuations and the energy price crisis.
Fetco Chairman Kobsak Pootrakool meanwhile said tourism and related industries will benefit from the industry’s rapid recovery.
VNA/CVN
