As the country has become a hot vacation spot among mainlanders (Thanks to that Chinese movie), the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) expects the number of Chinese tourists to rise to 10 million this year.
The arrival of the tourists from China rose during this year’s first quarter and is expected to reach its goal of 10 million by the end of the year, said Srisuda Wannapinyosak, TAT’s deputy governor for international marketing yesterday.
Last year, 7.9 million Chinese visited Thailand, and about five millions of them were considered quality tourists, meaning that they spent an average of THB5,000 – THB50,000 each during their stay, according to Srisuda.
Thailand also overtook South Korea as the top destination for Chinese tourists last year, with an increase of 70 percent of visitors in 2014.
To promote Chinese tourism in Thailand, the TAT is also giving aways hotel vouchers and free tickets to Chinese participants who vote in the “People’s Choice Awards Thailand,” an online poll targeted at Chinese visitors.
In the poll, respondents have to rate their favorite tourist attractions and activities in Thailand to win free trips, state media reported.
