Bangkok, Phuket Expecting Flood Of Chinese Tourists During Chinese New Year, Forecasting Nearly 70% More Than 2009#
While Chinese New Year is traditionally a time for people in China to head to their hometowns and spend time with their family, more of them are heading abroad, taking advantage of easing travel restrictions and cheaper flights to avoid the crowding at train stations and airports at that time of year. Over the last few years, one of the greatest beneficiaries of Chinese New Year tourism has been neighboring Thailand, which is hoping for nearly 100,000 Chinese tourists to pop over the border during Chinese New Year.
If these numbers, released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, hold true, it would be a nearly 70% increase over last year, when fears about H1N1 and Thailand's political situation chased many potential tourists away.
To attract these lucrative Chinese tourists, Thailand's travel authorities are investing heavily, allocating some 20 million baht ($608,000) towards promoting tourism in Thailand in major cities throughout the Chinese mainland. As the Bangkok Post pointed out, this Chinese New Year initiative is the first salvo in Thailand's nearly $2 million promotional budget for the year, which is aimed at attracting more Chinese tourists throughout 2010:
For the Chinese New Year festival, the [Tourism Authority of Thailand] will spend about 20 million baht on promotions in major cities including Hat Yai, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Chon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima and Nakhon Sawan. Grand celebrations will be held in Yaowarat, commonly known as Bangkok's Chinatown.
Vichit Prakobgosol, the president of the Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association, said Chinese tourists were returning after the association, TAT and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports seriously promoted Thailand and restored confidence throughout 2009.
At least 1.2 million Chinese tourists are expected to visit Thailand in 2010, up from fewer than 1 million last year.