Thailand receives 5.65 million Chinese mainland visitors in H1

The spending of Chinese mainland visitors in Thailand in the first half of 2019 fell 4.02% year-on-year to 310.47 billion baht (US$10.03 billion), as arrivals number fell 4.73% to 5.65 million, Xinhua reported.

However, China remained the biggest tourist source market for Thailand and accounted for the bulk of Thailand’s tourism income, according to a report released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand.

Thailand think tank Vision Thai suggested that the decline in Chinese visitor numbers could be attributed to the high base number in the first half of 2018, the recent appreciation of the Thai baht, the increasing diversity of destinations for Chinese tourists, and the fierce competition among destinations.

The think tank expected improvement to Thailand’s visitor arrival number in the second half of the year, but pressure from the appreciation of the Thai baht would persist.

The head of Thailand national tourism administration estimated that the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand would reach 11 to 12 million in 2019, and the country would upgrade and refine its products to attract more travelers from China.

In 2018, 10.53 million Chinese mainland tourists visited Thailand, with the number exceeding 10 million for the first time, the data from Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand showed. (Translated by Juli)