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Russian Aeroflot remains China’s ‘Favorite International Airline’

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Russia’s Aeroflot has been once again named the Favorite International Airline in China. The award was given to Aeroflot for the third consecutive year at the Flyer Award Ceremony 2019. The award ceremony was held today in Shanghai, the economic capital of China.

The awards are supported by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). Winners are selected by the jury and by votes from frequent flyers and travelers.

The awards recognize outstanding participants in China’s dynamically developing tourism market. Previous winners include leading global airlines, including carriers that hold Skytrax 5-Star Airline status.

Aeroflot retained the title of Favorite International Airline at the competitive Flyer Awards due to its key competitive advantages: high service quality and flexible fare policy.

“The recognition of Aeroflot as the Favorite International Airline in China is confirmation of the effectiveness of our strategic efforts in China,” Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Saveliev said. “We offer our customers a wide route network and one of the youngest fleets in the world. Millions of Chinese passengers choose our airline for affordable ticket prices, convenient transit via our hub airport Sheremetyevo and high-quality service. Further development of service on Europe-Asia transit routes – one of the most competitive aviation markets globally – is one of Aeroflot’s key goals, along with the active expansion of the domestic route network.”

Aeroflot’s convenient routes encompass four key locations in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Aeroflot continuously adds new services oriented at the Chinese market. Earlier Aeroflot signed a partnership agreement with Alipay, China’s most popular payment system.

Aeroflot’s official website has a Chinese-language interface. Passengers receive menus in Chinese, and the in-flight entertainment system is available in Chinese. Onboard announcements are made in Chinese and the menu offers a special Asian set.

Aeroflot consistently enjoys wide recognition and popularity among consumers in the Chinese market. In January, Aeroflot was named Best China – Europe Transit Airline at the 2019 Stars Awards in China.

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Destination Florence CVB partners with City of Florence for international tourism promotion

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Destination Florence CVB is the new official partner of the City of Florence to promote the destination and better the quality of tourism.

The Florence Municipality, The Florentine Chamber of Commerce and The University of Florence signed an agreement to outline new and effective strategies in the tourism field, relying on the governence of tourism and the ability to directly foster agreements between institutions and individuals, while defining and clarifying the roles of various on-site actors.

The agreement is dedicated specifically to the MICE tourism and to better the quality of tourism in all the Florenctine territories and it has the aim of choosing a partner to develop activities and strategies.

Thanks to the winning of a competition notice, Destination Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau has been selected as the unique partner of the City of Florence and its partners to promote the destination all over the world and acquire more conferences and events.

To develop the activities, the Municipality of Florence allocated 320.000 Euros per year for a total period of three years, to be renewed for two more years.

Destination Florence Convention and Visitors Bureau has been operating for over 20 years as a destination agency to attract large events, congresses, international marriages, and individual tourists. It represents a comprehensive outlet for tourism thanks to more than 300 partners, a network that makes it possible to have a synchronized bond with the territory and the operators functioning within, strengthened by signed agreements with trade associations of reference.

The Ministry of Tourism of the city of Florence, Cecilia Del Re, said “We are very proud to have selected a unique partner for the promotion of the city. Florence is a unique city to host conferences and events also thanks to the new tramvia, the huge renovation of our congress centre and the future major enlargment of our airport”.

Destination Florence CVB presented a project to better the tourism within the city of Florence thanks to specific activities and with two main goals: acquire more conferences and events and attract a qualified tourism.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT:

– Increase the number of winning bid and conferences to be held in the city
– Presence at primary Fairs and Events of the sector (ILTM Cannes, ATM Dubai…)
– Augment number of tourists with a qualified profile and high spending capacity
– Increase the average duration of stay within the territory
– Expand and diversify the range of services, products, and experiences
– Qualitatively enhance the image of Florence worldwide
– Promote qualified and certified tourist services in the city, including the greater metropolitan area, to include lesser-known concepts of great touristic value

Carlotta Ferrari, Director of Destination Florence CVB said: “Florence is one of the most attractive destination of the world in fact it is in the top five cities to host conferences and events. We will continue to promote Florence to acquire more conferences and events each year.”

“Also, thanks to the Destination Florence project, we will develop and promote tourism offerings, proposing a benchmark for a single, potential national model. We are working with the most innovative technology as our new chat bot that we will presented in the next months and we are also opening our official account on WeChat to promote Florence in the Chinese market.”

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Italian Exhibition Group returns to China to promote international tourism

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Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) is returning to China to promote international tourism business. The appointment is at the Shanghai World Travel Fair (SWTF), one of the major tourism industry expos of Eastern China, the 16th edition of which is being held from 18th to 21st April.

Over 750 exhibitors from 53 countries and regions of the world are awaited at the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

SWTF, co-organized by Europe Asia Global Link Exhibitions (EAGLE) – joint venture created by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) and VNU Exhibitions Asia – and Shanghai International Convention & Exhibition Corp. Ltd (on behalf of Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism), offers the sector’s trade members a unique business platform and, for the general public, an all-round insight on tourism products, all in the largest tourism region of the Chinese market, Eastern China (China is the world’s largest outbound tourism market, with 149.72 million outbound journeys and a 14.7% increase in 2018).

With over 15,000 trade members expected and a public of 50,000 visitors, the 2019 edition of SWTF will host a busy calendar of appointments and new features. Visitors will explore tourist destinations from all over the world, including Argentina, Australia, Bulgaria, Cuba, Gabon, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Russia, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Tanzania, Turkmenistan and Vietnam. SWTF will highlight the entire tourism chain, starting with tourist offices, travel agencies and tour operators, OTA, hotel, airlines, theme parks and resorts, as well as travel services and insurance companies.

On a professional level, SWTF reconfirms its role as a great opportunity for matching to all effects. Over 3,000 B2B appointments with selected buyers from all over Eastern China will take part in the events and the panel scheduled on the latest trends in outbound tourism, organized in cooperation with China Travel Agent. Regarding this, an exclusive B2B area has been realized, which will be accessible to the sector’s trade members exclusively via a face detection system, in order to ensure the quality of the meetings with international suppliers.

Emerging destinations, digital marketing, developments on visa policies and MICE, are just some of the issues that will be covered in the panels by the sector’s opinion leaders, ready to share their successful case histories with the public. Plus, among the speakers, there will also be representatives of the top management of companies such as Ctrip, Tuniu, Uzai, Spring Tour and Tongshen Group, as well as the directors of the Tourism offices of New Zealand, Switzerland and Serbia with branches in Shanghai.

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Genting Cruise Lines welcomes Explorer Dream to its fleet

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Genting Cruise Lines welcomed the third member of its Dream Cruises’ fleet with the christening and inaugural homeport deployment of Explorer Dream in Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. Explorer Dream is the first newly-launched cruise ship of the post-recalibration period in the Chinese cruise industry and her arrival also marks Dream Cruises’ debut in Eastern China, with the cruise liner purposely-built and recently renovated for the Asian and Chinese luxury market. Leveraging on the deployment of Explorer Dream, Dream Cruises’ first 200,000-tonne Global Class ship, set to debut in 2021, will also celebrate her inaugural deployment in Shanghai as the largest cruise ship to homeport in the Asia-Pacific.

Honorable guests Mr. Su Ping, Vice Magistrate of Shanghai Baoshan District Government and Mr. Hui Lim, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Genting Hong Kong were joined by management executives and over 500 guests at the ceremonial launch event. The christening ceremony featured Ms. Grace Chen, the godmother of Explorer Dream and one of the most influential fashion innovators in China. The innovative christening was activated by her magic wand of dreams and aspirations and the spirit of exploration was symbolised by a majestic unicorn that led the iconic Dream Cruises’ mermaid out of the ocean and into a new realm, where she will embark on the quest to discover new horizons across the seas. With the traditional breaking of the champagne bottle against the bow of the ship, Explorer Dream officially begins her journey with Dream Cruises.

“Dream Cruises is the most recognized cruise brand in Southern China due to World Dream being positioned in the dual homeports of Guangzhou and Hong Kong. However, as we all know, the Eastern and North Chinese market is five times larger than the south and Dream Cruises will be building two 204,000 gross ton “Global Class” ships to be launched starting early 2021 in Shanghai and Tianjin to accommodate this market. These two ships, being built in our own shipyards Germany, are also designed to be the most advanced and intelligent cruise ships ever to be constructed,” said Mr. Hui Lim, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Genting Hong Kong. said, “In order to prepare the foundations and increase Dream Cruises’ brand awareness in East and North China, we are pleased today to welcome “Explorer Dream” in Shanghai as the third ship in our Dream Cruises fleet.”

Explorer Dream is the second cruise ship of Genting Cruise Lines to homeport in Shanghai, made possible by the tremendous support of the Shanghai Baoshan District Government. Mr. Su Ping, Vice Magistrate of Shanghai Baoshan District Government said, “In July 2017, Genting Cruise Lines launched the Golden Sea Route 7-night itinerary in Shanghai, which garnered the Best Itinerary Award during the Shanghai Cruise Tourism Festival. In October 2018, a strategic Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Baoshan District Government and Genting Cruise Lines to forge a new partnership. Now, the inaugural arrival of Explorer Dream, the newest member of Dream Cruises in Shanghai, will bring forth distinctive and premium cruise travel products to propel the optimal development of the cruise industry in China.”

After the inaugural ceremony, Grace Chen presented a spectacular fashion show at sea aboard the ship. Eighteen models showcased her Voyage collection and walked the runway on the Palace Pool Deck, where guests enjoyed a visual feast inspired by the spirit of exploration and discovery, both of which are the brand essence of Dream Cruises.

Since its launch two years ago, Dream Cruises has garnered numerous accolades for its two cruise ships, Genting Dream which debuted in 2016 and World Dream in 2017, including Star Performer Top Ten Ratings in the Large Resort Category, “Most Popular Family Cruise Brand in China 2018” by Global Times, Top 5 Cruise Lines in the Large/Medium sized cruise ship category by Conde Nast Traveler’s Gold List and more.

Built with German craftsmanship, Explorer Dream measures 268 meters in length and 32 meters in width. She has a total gross tonnage of 75,338 tons, 928 cabins and lower berth capacity of 1,856 passengers. The signature, luxury “ship within a ship” enclave of Dream Cruises – The Palace, provides an unprecedented “True Asian Luxury” experience to discerning travelers in China and Asia, boasting an industry leading staff to guest ratio, a majority of its suites at over 40 square meters, as well as Proprietary Butler Training endorsed by affiliated company Crystal Cruises – The World’s Most Awarded Luxury Cruise Line.

A generous variety of culinary options will also be available to cater for every taste – from inspired Asian flavours to exquisite Western delicacies. Acclaimed Australian Chef Mark Best will extend his influence on to Explorer Dream with his Seafood Grill by Mark Best serving up the ocean’s bounty in a spectacular al fresco setting. Signature Dream dining favorites will also take pride of place on the new ship including Umi Uma for Japanese delights, Silk Road for traditional Chinese fare, Blue Lagoon for Southeast Asian comfort food and Palm Court for informal refreshments and breath-taking views. For adventurous foodies, the all new Mozzarella Ristorante e Pizzeria will tantalize with a modern fusion of classic Italian dishes and pizzas with a Japanese twist.

Guests of Explorer Dream can also enjoy thematic programs on their journeys at sea including “The Connoisseurs Circle” bespoke enrichment program, featuring inspirational talks and events that are especially curated for guests of The Palace, such as a fashion talk by Grace Chen, the godmother of Explorer Dream.

As the fastest cruise ship in Asia, Explorer Dream offers a great variety of itineraries and flexibility. Sailings from Shanghai homeport will take guests on cruises to popular destinations in Japan that range from 3-night to 6-night itineraries, such as the 3-night cruises to Kyoto, Osaka or Kobe, or the 2-night round-trip cruise to Okinawa. In the month of April, when cherry blossoms in Japan are in bloom, guests can enjoy the dazzling floral display on shore, complemented by authentic Japanese experiences on the cruise, such as specialty dishes featuring Japanese Wagyu beef and pork, tuna cutting performances, Yukata trials, poolside festivals and more.

Starting from 1 July, Explorer Dream will begin her homeport deployment in Tianjin with more summer cruise options for family travelers, who will enjoy the renowned stage productions of Kaixin Mahua at sea. Taking the first step to evolve Dream Cruises into “Asia’s Global Cruise Line” by sailing outside Asian waters, in October 2019, Explorer Dream will homeport in Sydney and Auckland where she will embark on a variety of seven-night weekly itineraries to “Down Under” destinations.

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TAT Wedding Workshop drives dramatic growth from China

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Tourism Authority of Thailand news first on FIR:

Bangkok, 11 April 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Shanghai Dao Pu Wen Culture Communication (Top One) organised a “Wedding Industry Workshop & Trade Meet” event and fam trip for Chinese wedding planners and agents during 8-12 April, 2019, in Thailand.

One highlight for the 107 Chinese wedding planners and agents in attendance was a chance to meet with 62 Thai suppliers during a “Wedding Industry Workshop & Trade Meet” table-top sales event on 9 April, 2019, at the Le Meridien Hotel in Chiang Mai.

TAT Wedding Workshop drives dramatic growth from ChinaMrs. Titiporn Maneenate, TAT Executive Director of the East Asia Region said, “By organising the wedding industry workshop and trade meet, TAT shows it understands the importance of the Mainland Chinese market to Thailand’s growing wedding sector.

“The event served to showcase Thailand’s readiness and diversity of facilities that cater to inbound wedding events. These range from hotels, resorts, restaurants and other venues that are suitable to hold weddings. Then, there are also the multitude of romantic destinations around the Kingdom that are popular for honeymoons, coupled with natural attractions and unique Thai traditions, to complete the offering and complete wedding experience.”

The event also included a Thai-style Lanna wedding that Chiang Mai is famous for, plus presentations of other traditional and non-traditional wedding styles around Thailand including Phuket’s iconic Peranakan Chinese Baba-Nyonya nuptials and Trang’s unique underwater wedding ceremony.

TAT Wedding Workshop drives dramatic growth from ChinaTop One is China’s leading wedding company having organised weddings for some of China’s top media personalities and star celebrities. It also is a leader in China’s wedding industry that organises relevant workshops and events for Chinese professionals.

Thailand expects to welcome over 5,000 weddings and associated events originating from China during 2019. This represents a huge increase after the Kingdom welcomed over 2,000 weddings and related events from China in 2018.  This dramatic increase is fuelled in part by the ongoing wedding promotions organised by TAT in both China and Thailand.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Viking and China Merchants Group to build cruise line for Chinese cruise market

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Viking Cruises and China Merchants Shekou, representing China Merchants Group, announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture focused on building a cruise line with worldwide cruise offerings for the Chinese cruise market.

This will be a wide-ranging partnership covering from product development to sales and marketing. Further, China Merchants Group’s shipbuilding subsidiaries will partner with the joint venture to design and build new ocean cruise ships dedicated to the Chinese market.

“China is a dynamic outbound tourism market, and we are pleased to be partnering with China Merchants Group in this joint venture to drive the development of the cruise industry – we see Viking’s way of cruising less as a trip and more as a lifestyle,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “For more than 20 years, we have led the industry in developing a fleet of ships and a range of cruise itineraries that we believe provide guests with the most comfortable and enriching way to explore the world. Our partnership with China Merchants Group will allow us to bring this Viking travel lifestyle to more Chinese travelers more quickly, satisfying the Chinese market’s unmet demand for a greater choice of sophisticated travel.”

“China Merchants Group treasures this cooperation with Viking. This is a full scale, multi-dimensional cooperation that covers all three main business sectors of China Merchants group,” said Gangfeng Fu, president of China Merchants Group. “Viking has gained tremendous experience in cruise operations and branding strategies during its 20 years of rapid growth. We sincerely hope that the alliance of the two powerful brands will create synergies and innovative business models that will lead the cooperation into a market-leading cruise brand.

Viking operates a current fleet of 78 vessels, offering scenic cruising on rivers and oceans around the world. China has been a part of Viking’s destination portfolio since 2003, and since setting up local operations in China in 2016, the company has seen strong momentum in its European river cruise product tailored for Chinese-speaking guests.

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Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 promotes long standing cultural ties

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Tourism Authority of Thailand news first on FIR:

Kunming, 24 February 2019 – The Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 started on Saturday, 23 February, and will run until 1 March with the Thai delegation starting their adventure from Thailand for the first time.

Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 promotes long standing cultural tiesThe friendship caravan was normally organised from China to Thailand, but for the 2019 edition the journey started in Thailand with the circle route running through Kunming, Yunnan province, stopping in key towns and cities around Yunnan and Guizhou provinces.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said, “The objective of this event is to strengthen Thai-Chinese relations and promote culture and tourism between the two countries. This is achieved through a specially-designed route and activities of the caravan trip. It helps build Thailand’s positive tourism image and gives confidence to Chinese tourists. This time we are targeting visitors from China’s secondary cities.”

Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 promotes long standing cultural ties
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor (6th from left); Miss Nitivadee Manitkul, Consul-General, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Kunming, China; and the caravan’s participants

The Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 starts with the Thai delegation flying from Bangkok to Kunming to take part in a special ‘quality tourism road show’ event that also hosts another 30 local tourism operators and media for cultural exchanges.

The caravan itself officially starts on the second day with an opening ceremony. Throughout the journey, participants will drive through Guizhou’s stunning scenery, one of China’s unspoiled provinces, covering about 1,900 kilometres.

Thailand-China Friendship Caravan 2019 promotes long standing cultural tiesStops on the route include: Huangguoshu Waterfall, the largest waterfall in China; the ancient towns of Xiasi, Kaili and Zhen Yuan; Xi Jiang, home to China’s largest Miao village. The trip’s highlight includes a stop at the Beipanjiang Bridge, recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s highest bridge equal to a 200-floor skyscraper. The caravan concludes in Kunming with the Thai delegation flying back to Bangkok.

Cultural exchange performances from Thailand include a four-region folk dance and a fun Isan dance medley. A Chinese peacock dance, Hulusi music performance (The cucurbit flute) and the ‘Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group’ performance, a UNESCO-listed Intangible Cultural Heritage listing, complete China’s cultural offering.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

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TAT organises 2nd annual Thai-Chinese culinary exchange

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Tourism Authority of Thailand news first on FIR:

Bangkok, 4 February, 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), together with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Kingdom of Thailand and the Centara Grand at CentralWorld, organised the 2nd Thai-Chinese culinary exchange at the Dynasty Restaurant, Centara Grand at CentralWorld on 3 February from 15.00 to 17.00 Hrs.

The event supports the start of the annual Chinese New Year 2019 celebrations in Thailand and celebrates culinary exchange between the two of the world’s top international cuisines.

TAT organises 2nd annual Thai-Chinese culinary exchange
Attending the event were, from left, Mrs. Chang Yumeng, the Counsellor – Cultural affairs of Embassy of The People’s Republic of China in The Kingdom of Thailand; Mr. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and the South Pacific; Mr. Wang Hai Dong, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Federation of the Chinese Catering Industry – Beijing Chapter; and Mr. Kongsun Sae-Liang, the Dynasty Restaurant’s master chef.

Mr. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and the South Pacific, said: “This second annual culinary exchange is part of the annual Chinese New Year celebrations that TAT and our Chinese counterparts have been organising. This demonstrates the long-standing relationship between China and Thailand on all levels, from government to government, private sector to private sector, and from Chinese and Thai citizens in both countries.

“Today’s event would not have been as successful without the kind cooperation from our Chinese counterparts as well as the talented chef team from Thailand.”

This year’s event followed last year’s inaugural Thai-Chinese culinary exchange to build food culture awareness between the two countries.

Like last year, top chefs from China came to Thailand, especially for a ‘cook off’ show with a Thai chef at a specially selected Chinese restaurant in Bangkok.

Chefs from China include Mr. Wang Hai Dong, Deputy Secretary-General of the World Federation of the Chinese Catering Industry – Beijing Chapter; Mr. Wu You Jun, Vice President, World Federation of the Chinese Catering Industry – Young Chef Section; and Mr. Wang Jing Yan, National Chinese Cooking Challenge Champion.

From Thailand is Dynasty Restaurant’s master chef, Mr. Kongsun Sae-Liang (Cantonese cuisine).

The two teams created a classic menu combination of two savoury dishes. The three Chinese chefs cooked deep fried Garoupa fish with Chinese sauce and sautéed prawn with vegetables while the Thai chef balanced the savoury taste with roasted duck flavoured with green tea.

The event is aimed at helping to build awareness among Thai and foreign tourists who have a special interest in gastronomy, and TAT hopes it will stimulate more travel both over Chinese New Year as well as throughout the calendar year 2019.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Amazing Thailand Romance Trade Meet event staged for Chinese market

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Tourism Authority of Thailand news first on FIR:

Bangkok,14 January, 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently staged the Amazing Thailand Romance Trade Meet event, bringing from China wedding planners and travel agents selling honeymoon holidays to meet and discuss prospect businesses with Thai wedding and honeymoon planners.

The Amazing Thailand Trade Meet table-top event, including TAT’s Thailand luxury, romantic product update, was held on 9 January in Bangkok.

The 50 participants including some members of the media also had the opportunity to explore Thai culture and history, as well as beautiful natural attractions and a variety of amenities and accommodation in Surat Thani (Ko Samui) and Ayutthaya.

Amazing Thailand Romance Trade Meet event staged for Chinese market

Mrs. Titiporn Maneenate, TAT Executive Director of the East Asia Region (above photo, 2nd from right), said the event formed part of TAT’s initiative to enhance the positioning of Thailand as the preferred wedding and honeymoon destination among Chinese couples.

She said that over the years, TAT had proactively been working on various strategies and initiatives to promote Thailand as a destination where luxurious, romantic dreams come true.

“For China, weddings and honeymoons are considered as the highly specialised niche market with Thailand being among the popular destinations for luxurious and romantic travel.”

Meanwhile, the presence of journalists and social influencers during the trip also meant favourable coverage of the activity in the online and offline media channels across China, estimated to achieve about a 15 million reach.

*More photos from the Amazing Thailand Trade Meet table-top event.

Amazing Thailand Romance Trade Meet event staged for Chinese market Amazing Thailand Romance Trade Meet event staged for Chinese market Amazing Thailand Romance Trade Meet event staged for Chinese market

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Chinese visitors to Thailand hit 10 million for the first time in December 2018

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Tourism Authority of Thailand news first on FIR:

Bangkok, 19 December, 2018 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) along with representatives from the tourism-related public and private sectors hosted a special welcoming ceremony to the 10 millionth visitor from China, Ms. He WeiXin, who arrived in the kingdom today on board Thai Airways International (THAI) flight TG613 from Kunming, which touched down at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 17.00 Hrs.

Chinese visitors to Thailand hit 10 million for the first time in December 2018Presiding over the high-profile airport welcome ceremony, H.E. Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said: “This marks a historic milestone between our two Asian neighbours, and we are confident that she will enjoy her local Thai experiences and will feel inspired to become a good ambassador of the kingdom.

“We hope that she will help spread the word about her memorable experience during the trip in Thailand to family, friends and everyone in China that ‘Amazing Thailand’ remains the preferred holiday destination. This will help strengthen the positive image of Thai tourism.”

Chinese visitors to Thailand hit 10 million for the first time in December 2018
Minister of Tourism and Sports H.E. Weerasak Kowsurat and the 10 millionth visitor from China Ms. He WeiXin

The 10 millionth Chinese arrival milestone shows that TAT’s projection of 10 million visitors from China, generating about 509 billion Baht in revenue, for 2018 have reached the expectation. The number also sets a new record for Thailand’s No 1 source market, where the TAT operates five offices on the mainland in Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Chengdu and Guangzhou.

Mr. Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Asia and the South Pacific, said: “China is Thailand’s largest market with Chinese arrivals constituting one-third of the overall number of visitors to Thailand. The welcoming of the 10 millionth Chinese tourist for 2018, for the first time ever for Thailand, reiterates the Thai tourism industry’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the awareness of Thailand as a top destination.”

To mark the historic occasion, Ms. He WeiXin received special gifts from TAT, THAI, King Power International, ICON Siam, Central Group, Siam Wellness group and SF Corporation. The Airports of Thailand also provided a limousine transfer to her accommodation in Bangkok. Also presenting at the event were representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, Tourist Police Bureau of Thailand and the Thai Immigration Bureau Division.

In 2017, a total of 9,805,753 Chinese visited Thailand with average expenditure estimated at 52,882 Baht per person per trip, or a total revenue of 520 billion Baht. From January to October 2018, the number of Chinese arrivals to Thailand totalled 9 million generating revenue of 495 billion Baht.

For 2019, TAT will place emphasis on promoting tourism linkages from major to secondary cities in line with the Amazing Thailand Go Local policy to better balance the distribution of tourists and tourism revenue between urban and rural areas and even out monthly travel seasonality.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

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