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Thailand receives the first Chinese visitors under a new visa-free policy to boost tourism

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin handed out gifts and posed for photos as he welcomed hundreds of Chinese tourists on the first day a new visa-free entry scheme for them became effective.

Chinese tourists takes selfies with Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, right, on their arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

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Chinese tourists takes picture with Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, right, on their arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese tourists received garland during welcome Chinese tourists arrive at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese tourists receive garlands from Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, right, on their arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese tourists dance with puppet as Chinese tourists are welcomed on the arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese tourists are welcomed with puppet on their arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese tourists dance with puppet as they are welcomed on arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese tourists reacts on the arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Chinese boy tourists are welcomed by Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, right, on their arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn province, Thailand, Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Thailand’s new government granting temporary visa-free entry to Chinese tourists, signaling that the recovery of the country’s tourism industry is a top economic priority. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

BANGKOK (AP) — Top Thai officials welcomed hundreds of Chinese tourists at Bangkok’s international airport on Monday, the first day of a new visa-free entry program that officials say will boost the country’s tourism industry that was badly damaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin handed out gifts and posed for pictures as his tourism minister and other VIPs greeted about 300 travelers from Shanghai. The surprised tourists were entertained by Thai traditional dancers and drummers inside the arrivals area at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

“We are confident that this policy will greatly boost the economy,” Srettha told reporters. He said that the government plans to promote Thailand’s smaller cities as destinations for Chinese tourists to encourage them to stay longer and spend more.

Addressing safety concerns among tourists, Srettha said it was the top priority of the authorities. There have been reports and rumors widely circulating on Chinese social media about fraud and kidnapping in Thailand.

A tourist from Shanghai, who identified himself only as Dai, said he was impressed with the “very lively” welcome ceremony at the airport, though he noted that the immigration officer who checked his passport did not immediately know about the temporary visa exemption policy. He said he plans to stay for two weeks and visit other cities besides Bangkok, including Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Peng Chunyu and Wan Yi, who arrived on the same flight, said it was a great policy for Thailand to allow visa-free entry for Chinese. The process was “very smooth,” said Peng. The two will stay for nine days and said they look forward to seeing Bangkok’s Grand Palace, Wat Arun temple and Chinatown.

The visa exemption, which also applies to visitors from the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, will be effective until Feb. 29. Tourism Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said there has been about a 30% surge in accommodation and flight bookings since the policy was announced.

China more than a decade ago became a major source of tourists to Thailand, with almost 11 million visitors in 2019, accounting for 27.6% of all arrivals that year before the pandemic devastated the tourist market.

The government proposed the visa exemption measure due to concern that the number of Chinese tourists might be lower than expected this year because of strict visa requirements. The target number of arrivals from China had been revised from 5 million to 3 million after a report from the state Tourism Authority of Thailand that around 1.4 million Chinese tourists came in the first six months.

Tourism Authority Director Thapanee Kiatphaibool said Monday that the authorities were confident the number of Chinese arrivals could hit 4 million-to-5 million after the visa-free program was introduced.

Thailand’s economy slumped during the pandemic as its huge tourism industry virtually collapsed. The country received about 40 million visitors in 2019, and the government estimated they spent 1.9 trillion baht ($53.2 billion) — an amount that plummeted by more than 99% by 2021, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Chai Wacharonke, a spokesperson for the prime minister, earlier said that Thailand received 15 million international visitors in the first seven months. He said the government aims to draw 28 million tourists and generate 1.4 trillion baht ($39.2 billion) in revenue in 2023.

Thailand sees Chinese tourism soar as visa requirement dropped

Less bureaucracy and more flights are luring Chinese visitors back to Thailand in a boost to the tourism industry.

Bangkok, Thailand – Bangkok’s Chinatown, lit up by red-lanterns and decorative banners to celebrate the Lunar New Year holidays, is bustling.

As the region welcomed the Year of the Dragon last weekend, ethnic Chinese Thais thronged temples to light candles and pray for good fortune.

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Inside the glowing red interior of Wat Mangkon Kamalawat – the largest Chinese temple in Bangkok – women wore traditional cheongsam dresses and took photos with their loved ones.

Outside, in the hustle and bustle of Yaowarat Road, lion dancers performed as visitors – Thais and legions of tourists – crowded the street, sampling the food and shopping from stalls in the market.

Many were from China, with official figures showing hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals chose to spend the holiday, which began on February 10, in Thailand where they no longer need to get a visa.

“Destinations in Southeast Asia traditionally rely on a strong Lunar New Year holiday to kick-start the tourism calendar,” Gary Bowerman, a tourism analyst in Kuala Lumpur, told Al Jazeera.

“Thailand has positioned itself astutely to capture outbound travel demand from China with its bilateral visa waiver and aggressive marketing into the Chinese market led by the prime minister. This resonates well with Chinese tourists and has encouraged Chinese airlines to add more capacity over [the] Chinese New Year.”

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin started his push to lure more arrivals from China in September when he announced a temporary visa waiver for Chinese tourists. The short-term agreement soon became permanent after Thailand and China signed an indefinite mutual visa exemption for their nationals to visit each other’s country starting from March 1.

Nithee Seeprae, deputy governor for marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, says Chinese arrivals have been encouraging.

“It’s very exciting and [a] successful Chinese New Year, and it is a positive sign for the new visa waiver between China and Thailand because it brings more confidence for the Chinese tourists,” he told Al Jazeera. “Now we got 27-28,000 tourists [arriving each day] since the 1st of February, it is almost back to normal before Covid. Last year, at the same time, it was 7-8,000. Last month 500,000 [China visitors arrived].”

Thailand’s government spokesman Chai Wacharonke said on Saturday that four million tourists had arrived in the country from January 1 to February 8, including more than 730,000 Chinese.

Based on Nithee’s approximate figures, Chinese arrivals could reach one million by the end of the month.

“We have promotions with online travel agents, and [we] coordinate with normal travel agents to create a roadshow in the big cities in China. Also, the flights are back to 90 percent [capacity] like before the pandemic because of the visa waiving. We [are trying] to coordinate with influencers and key opinion leaders from China to create the content experience in Thailand,” he added.

More initiatives planned

Phuket, in southern Thailand, has seen an influx of arrivals in recent weeks.

The island hotspot is expected to welcome 49,000 tourists a day through the international airport during the Chinese New Year period until February 16, according to local media.

The festival falls in the middle of Thailand’s high season, which usually runs from November to March, and is a major holiday for mainland China.

Ranjeet Viswanathan, the director of sales and marketing at the luxury Hyatt Regency Phuket Resort, said occupancy was even higher than many had hoped.

“This year has started with a bang. Every hotel has seen better-than-expected results in January and this continues in February. Our hotel has been doing over 92 percent in occupancy since January 1,” he told Al Jazeera.

Chinese tourists make up about 12 percent of the resort’s business and the number of travellers in 2024 so far is five percent higher than a year ago.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, which can be a time for new ideas, projects and prosperity.

Chinese visitors have long been crucial to the Thai travel industry, but even with the jump in arrivals, the numbers remain well below 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In that year, Chinese visitors made up more than 11 million of the record 39 million tourists who visited Thailand.

Last year, there were more than 3.5 million Chinese arrivals, but that still fell short of the five million predicted by Thai officials.

Experts put the lower-than-expected numbers down to China’s own economic issues and domestic travel trends. The mass shooting in a Bangkok shopping mall in September that killed one Chinese national, and the release of the Chinese blockbuster movie No More Bets, a film depicting scams in Southeast Asia , may have also played a part.

But the recent surge of Chinese visitors to Thailand shows China’s outbound travel is recovering, according to Bowerman, the tourism analyst.

“Strong demand for travel to Thailand from China in the first two months of 2024 suggests that this year will be very different for outbound travel from China compared to 2023,” he said.

Thai tourism officials have forecast more than eight million arrivals from China by the end of 2024.

The tourism authority’s Nithee is already working on luring more visitors from China and is in talks to arrange new flight routes from China into Thai cities including Udon Thani in the northeast and Hat Yai in the south. He is optimistic Thailand is on track to meet its arrivals target by the end of the year.

“It is really promising. We have to keep an eye on these situations and get more confidence for tourists and do more promotion,” he added.

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‘We are ready’: relief and excitement builds in Thailand with Chinese tourists set to return

South-east Asian nations avoid rules targeting China visitors despite Covid risks, and hope the influx will revive battered tourism sectors

A fter almost three years of little to no business, Thai tour guide operator Anchalee Vittayanuntapornkul is more than relieved that Chinese tourists will soon be allowed to travel again. “I’m sure if you ask anyone in the tourism industry, the only nationality that they are waiting to see come back is the Chinese tourists,” says Anchalee, who is based in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand .

On Sunday, China scrapped the requirement for inbound travellers to quarantine , making holidaying abroad much easier. The policy change is expected to boost the tourism sector across the wider region, including south-east Asia, which depended heavily on Chinese travellers before the pandemic.

Anchalee, owner of CM Paradise Tour , has already hired extra Chinese speakers and drivers to take groups on tours of Chiang Mai’s famous Doi Suthep temple, its waterfalls and mountainous landscapes.

When the scrapping of quarantine was announced last month, online travel sites reported immediate spikes in bookings and searches. One platform, Qunar, says it saw a seven-fold increase in flight searches within 15 minutes, with Thailand, Japan and South Korea among the top destinations.

China’s dismantling of its zero-Covid policy , and the surge in cases that followed, which quickly overwhelmed hospitals , has prompted about a dozen countries globally to impose new requirements for travellers from China. The UK, India and the US are among various countries now requiring a Covid test for arrivals from China.

‘Everybody needs work’

South-east Asian countries have not introduced rules specifically for Chinese tourists, however. Thailand will, according to reports, require all travellers to provide proof of vaccination or proof of recovery from Covid over the past six months, but the final details have not yet been announced. Neighbouring Malaysia has said it will screen all incoming travellers for fever, with the Malaysian prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, saying that policies will not be “discriminating [against] any countries”.

When some in Malaysia reacted negatively to the news that China was reopening, the country’s tourism minister, Tiong King Sing, advised people to “be cautious with their words” and not to create the impression that the country was unwelcoming, local media reported .

Piyanut Intarachai, who runs a restaurant in Chiang Mai, says screening tourists who arrive is a good idea. “They should check the vaccination cards and even ask for a Covid test. I know it doesn’t give 100% protection, but it is still better than nothing.”

But Piyanut adds that he isn’t worried about Covid. “Covid is everywhere, not only in China . There are still new cases every day here. But with the current strain, it’s milder. Everybody needs work, and income to live their life.”

Before the pandemic, tourists would queue up at Piyanut’s restaurant, Kao Soy Nimman, eager to try his speciality, Khao Soi – a coconut curry noodle soup famous in northern Thailand. The vast majority of his customers were from China, he says. Then Covid hit, and visitors disappeared almost overnight. “It was just empty, all gone, no income.”

Pre-pandemic, China was one of the biggest sources of tourists for countries across the region, and it accounted for about a third of visitors to Thailand.

The Thai authorities are predicting around 5 million Chinese tourists will visit this year – welcome news for the tourism sector, though still less than half the number who arrived in 2019.

Tourism operators hopeful

The lack of requirements targeted at Chinese tourists might make south-east Asia a more welcoming destination for those who do choose to travel, says Hannah Pearson, founding partner of the travel consultancy Pear Anderson.

But she adds that Thailand and neighbouring countries are unlikely to see huge numbers of arrivals, saying: “There just isn’t the air capacity for that.”

Flight capacity for south-east Asia is still a third down on 2019, Pearson says, adding this is likely exacerbated by high fuel costs. “When operational costs are higher, that means that airlines are more reluctant to restore those capacities or those flight frequencies.” If airlines are unsure there will be demand, they don’t want to put on extra flights and risk losing money.

Anchalee, however, is hopeful. Her phone began ringing with enquiries almost as soon as the announcement was made that China would reopen. Already she is booked up until the end of March.

“I believe that Chinese tourists will come back to Thailand even more than before, because they could not go out for three years,” she says. “We are ready. I think the worst and the hardest part of the Covid time has already passed.”

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Thai PM greets Chinese tourists on inaugural visa-free day

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (4th L, front) welcomes Chinese tourists at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)

Thailand has recently announced its decision to allow visa-free entry for Chinese tourists from Sept. 25 until the end of February 2024, in alignment with the PM's commitment to enhancing Thailand's economy through tourism.

BANGKOK, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Thailand extended a warm welcome to the first batch of visa-exempt flights from China on Monday, marking the launch of the nation's fresh initiative to reinvigorate its Chinese tourist market.

Approximately 341 visitors from Shanghai landed at Suvarnabhumi airport on Monday morning, greeted with flowers and applause by the newly appointed Prime Minister (PM) Srettha Thavisin and several senior Thai officials.

"This marks a promising first day for Thailand as we welcome Chinese tourists under the new visa-free entry policy," Srettha said at the airport's welcoming ceremony.

The Southeast Asian country recently announced its decision to allow visa-free entry for Chinese tourists from Sept. 25 until the end of February 2024, in alignment with the PM's commitment to enhancing Thailand's economy through tourism.

"We are confident that this scheme will significantly boost the economy," he said.

According to the latest data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), from Jan. 1 to Sept. 17 this year, Thailand recorded over 2.34 million Chinese tourists, approximately 37 percent of the same period in 2019.

With the help of the scheme, authorities hope to double the current number, anticipating between 4.01 to 4.4 million Chinese visitors for the entire year.

Staff members prepare to welcome Chinese tourists at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand, Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)

"Knowing that Thailand has lifted visa requirements for Chinese visitors, my mother and I made a quick decision to visit Thailand for a few days," 25-year-old Tian Yumeng told Xinhua.

"Our entry went smoothly, and the warm welcome we received, both on the plane and upon landing, has been delightful. I am eagerly anticipating our time here," said Tian.

Srettha noted that ensuring tourist safety is their top priority, right from the moment visitors set foot in the country until they depart with a memorable experience.

To achieve this, several staff from the tourism police department are present at the airport, using Mandarin to introduce and assist tourists in downloading an app, all as part of their ongoing efforts to enhance safety and ensure a seamless travel experience in Thailand.

The stimulus visa scheme, effective just ahead of China's Golden Week in early October, has prompted airlines to gear up for expanding China-Thailand routes, increasing flight frequencies, and introducing new connections between favored Thai destinations and second-tier Chinese cities, according to TAT.

On the same day, flights from China's Kunming, Changsha, and Nanning and landing in the capital and other popular tourist cities, such as Chiang Mai and Phuket, are also greeted with Thai-style welcome ceremonies.

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Thailand welcomes back Chinese tourists

By Yang Wanli in Bangkok | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2023-01-10 00:00

Tourism: Thailand expects 300,000 Chinese tourists in Q1

As Thailand welcomed the first group of Chinese tourists on Monday after updating its arrival policy over the weekend, local authorities fully opened their arms to inbound travelers by removing the requirement of vaccination before entry.

"Visitors who are not vaccinated at all will also be granted entry without restriction. Showing proof of vaccination would be cumbersome and inconvenient, so our decision is that it is unnecessary," Anutin Charnvirakul, deputy prime minister and minister of public health said.

Thailand is also offering visitors a longer period of stay. Effective through March 31, the period of stay is extended from 30 days to 45 for tourists from countries and regions that qualify for visa exemption, and to 30 days instead of 15 for those eligible for a visa on arrival.

The announcement was made after a welcoming ceremony on Monday for the first group of Chinese tourists to arrive at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport since Thailand updated its travel policy.

China optimized its own travel protocol for inbound arrivals on Sunday.

Xiamen Airlines flight MF833, carrying 269 Chinese tourists, landed in the Thai capital after flying from East China's Fujian province.

A large group of greeters led by Anutin, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn welcomed the tourists after their arrival.

Officials presented the tourists with orchid garlands, souvenirs and tourism information leaflets in Chinese. They also held up a banner that read: "Chinese and Thais come from the same family. Amazing Thailand will always warmly welcome Chinese people."

"That was a big surprise to us. Thailand's people are very amicable," said Ma Xixiao, a traveler from Beijing. "It's exciting that we can come back to Thailand, as we last paid a visit to the country in 2016."

Her trip with family members will cover Bangkok and the coastal city of Pattaya.

"Many of my friends love Thailand very much, and they envy me for the quick decision that made the trip possible," she said.

According to statistics from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chinese travelers accounted for one-fourth of the total international inbound tourists to Thailand before the COVID-19 pandemic. There were more than 11 million Chinese visitors in 2019 alone, generating over 500 billion baht ($14.95 billion) in tourism revenue.

The number dropped sharply in 2020 and 2021. Last year saw the number of inbound Chinese travelers surge to nearly 290,000.

Following China's optimization of its COVID control policy, the Tourism Authority of Thailand estimated that the number of international inbound tourists this year is likely to reach 25 million.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand believes that starting on Monday, about 300,000 Chinese tourists will arrive in the first quarter — 60,000 in January, 90,000 in February and 150,000 in March. A total of 5 million Chinese tourists are expected to visit Thailand in 2023.

Tanes Petsuwan, the tourism authority's deputy governor for international marketing for Asia and the South Pacific, said he was very glad to see an increase in the number of Chinese visiting Thailand. "Most Thai people are very happy. The situation of COVID-19 is under control. Both the number of deaths and new cases are very low," he said.

Tanes said representatives of Thailand's private sector will be visiting China for business cooperation later. "It will be very good collaboration between Thailand and China," he added.

Phuket, one of the most popular island destinations among Chinese tourists, now has about 60 percent of its private sector back in business. Bhumikitti Ruktaengam, advisory chairman of the Phuket Tourist Association, told local media that about 20 percent of the island's suspended businesses could reopen if Chinese tourists return.

In addition to Chinese tourists' enjoying the beaches and food, "we would like to promote exclusive tour packages in the northeast region, the less-trampled corner of Thailand, which is filled with natural beauty", Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the tourism authority, said.

Thailand ready to welcome Chinese tourists to their ‘dream destination’

Thailand is every Chinese traveller’s dream destination, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched the “Two Lands, One Heart” travel promotion to welcome them.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Monday that in a bid to achieve its target of attracting at least 5 million Chinese visitors this year, TAT is planning to increase the frequency of flights, as well as promote packages via the China-Laos Railway, the Mekong River and the 1,240-kilometre road linking Thailand, Laos and China, he said.

Anucha added that TAT will also host an expo this month to give Thai and Chinese tour operators an opportunity to link up.

Meanwhile, the 16th World Chinese Entrepreneurs Convention in Bangkok in June is expected to attract 3,000 businessmen from China. It should generate more than a billion baht in revenue and offer Thailand more trade and investment opportunities.

“Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is delighted that Thailand’s tourism sector is bouncing back and is thankful to all concerned agencies,” Anucha said.

He added that in 2019, before Covid-19 hobbled the travel industry, Thailand saw more than 11 million Chinese visitors generating about 531 billion baht in revenue.

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Thailand welcomes first group of Chinese tourists post pandemic

Xiamen airlines flight mf833 from xiamen, china carrying 269 passengers landing at bangkok’s suvarnabhumi airport today..

Bangkok, 09 January, 2023 – Three Thai ministers jointly welcomed the first group of Chinese tourists, arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on momentous day after China relaxes its travel rules post pandemic.

Present at the airport welcome ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health, H.E. Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Minister of Transport, H.E. Mr. Saksayam Chidchob, and Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. They were joined by officials and figures from public and private organisations.

The airport welcome ceremony was arranged for Xiamen Airlines Flight MF833 from Xiamen, China carrying 269 passengers landing at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport at 12.19 Hrs.

Throughout today (9 January), there will be a total of 15 flights from China, carrying 3,465 passengers in total.

The Airports of Thailand (AOT) expects some 7-10 million travellers from China to travel through all its airports throughout 2023. Prior to COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, AOT airports saw about 20.5 million Chinese tourists.

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Thailand maintains 'fully-reopen' entry rules, tat strengthens “visit thailand year 2023” towards a meaningful travel direction, related articles.

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Chinese Travel Is Set to Return. The Question Is, When?

The country has dropped restrictions on overseas journeys for its citizens, but once-popular destinations are still waiting for the flood of vacationers to arrive.

By Ceylan Yeginsu and Patrick Scott

When the first Chinese tourists landed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok this month, they were greeted like celebrities with welcome banners, flowers, gifts, and a scrum of reporters and photographers.

It was the moment that hotels, airlines, tour operators and government officials had long been waiting for — the reopening of China’s borders after nearly three years of pandemic restrictions that effectively cut the world off from Chinese travelers, once the largest source of global tourism revenue.

“It is very exciting to visit warm beautiful places again,” said Hua Liu, 34, a graphic designer from Shanghai, who was among the first visitors to Thailand, where she took a two-week beach vacation late this month, as part of a Lunar New Year trip. “I will make up for the lost time,” she said in a telephone interview. Her plan: “Stay at nice hotels, book spa treatments, eat at fine restaurants and buy nice gifts for myself and my family.”

Before the coronavirus pandemic paralyzed international travel in 2020, China sent more travelers overseas than any other market, with about 150 million Chinese tourists spending $277 billion abroad in 2018, according to a study by the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the China Tourism Academy. That outflow halted in 2020 and in the last year, even as countries around the world eased travel restrictions, China maintained an international travel ban for its citizens as part of its “zero Covid” policy.

But on Jan. 8, the Chinese government opened its borders, allowing foreign travelers to enter and Chinese residents to go overseas. Some in the travel industry were predicting a flood of international Chinese travelers after search interest for outbound flights from mainland China increased by 83 percent between Dec. 26 and Jan. 5, with international flight bookings up 59 percent in the same period, according to the Chinese online travel agency Ctrip .

But while there has been a bump in tourism to nearby destinations, including Macau, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, farther-flung destinations are still waiting. In addition to high levels of Covid cases within China, Chinese travelers face long delays in getting passports and visas, high prices for international flights and a lack of capacity, since many carriers cut flights during China’s long lockdown. As of Friday, the number of airline seats available on direct flights from China to Britain in January was at about eight percent of those available in 2019, according to VisitBritain, the official tourist board. The first direct flight scheduled between China and Switzerland on Jan. 26 was canceled because of a lack of passengers.

Thailand gets ready

Before the pandemic, busloads of up to 700 Chinese tourists daily crowded into Maetaeng Elephant Park in the low-slung hills of northern Thailand, about an hour north of Chiang Mai.

Borprit Chailert, the park’s manager, is eagerly awaiting their return, but so far only about 40 Chinese vacationers have shown up, he said.

When they do arrive, renting elephants from nearby villagers to fortify his herd of 76 won’t be difficult, Mr. Chailert said. But it’s hard to know when to bring on more workers and where to find them, since many left the tourist region and switched jobs when tourism stopped, he said.

“If we want to hire 100 people today, we can’t do that because we’re not sure,” he said. “I don’t know, maybe in the next two months the Chinese government says, ‘We’re closing the border again.’”

With its economy heavily dependent on tourism, Thailand lost out on tens of billions of dollars in spending by Chinese tourists over the last three years. The Chiang Mai office of the Tourism Authority estimates that the city, known for its stunning Buddhist temples and heavy dependence on tourism, will welcome back about 600,000 Chinese visitors this year who will spend about $230 million — about half of the total from 2019.

The real numbers won’t start until the second quarter, people in the Thai travel sector say. Many Chinese tourists traditionally come to Thailand on group tours (they made up about half of the Chinese visitors in Chiang Mai), and the Chinese government is not letting tour operators restart their businesses until Feb. 6, and then only under a pilot program with about two dozen countries, including Thailand. For now, only independent Chinese tourists who can afford the expensive airfare are taking trips.

But not everyone is keen to welcome back group tours. Even before Covid, operators in Thailand and China saw a reversal of the group tour trend and a shift toward more tech-savvy Chinese travelers armed with booking and experience apps taking trips on their own.

Over the last decade, while the overall numbers of Chinese tourists rose, group tours dwindled amid a crackdown on cheap so-called zero-dollar tours in Phuket, the 40-mile long island on the Thai peninsula’s west coast. Often illegal operations dodging taxes, the tours typically were controlled by Chinese investors who owned buses, hotels, restaurants, spas and gift shops, siphoning off tourist spending from locals. They were known for pressuring guests to buy overpriced souvenirs at the shops they controlled.

“I don’t think that we will have more of the big tour groups,” said Nantida Atiset, a hotel owner in Phuket and the vice president of the Phuket Tourist Association. “I think they will come back, of course. It’s just a matter of how big they will come back.”

Pricey flights to London and Australia

In London, another popular destination for Chinese travelers, more than 300,000 people visited Chinatown last week for the first Lunar New Year parade since the coronavirus, but few Chinese tourists were present.

Feng Yang, the manager of Shanghai Family, a Chinese restaurant in central London, said that he didn’t expect any travelers from China during the Lunar New Year period, but was hopeful they would return in a few months. “They’re still affected by the coronavirus,” Mr. Yang said, adding that his business would most likely not suffer because about 85 percent of his customers are Chinese students from the surrounding universities, who aren’t going back to China for the holiday.

The slow growth can be blamed on a combination of factors. “There aren’t many flights, they will tend to be more expensive, and people will need a visa to come,” said Patricia Yates, the chief executive of VisitBritain, adding that the return of Chinese travelers to Britain would be a “slow build” this year with higher expectations in 2024. Round-trip flights to London from China are currently running at around $1,300 and Ms. Yates expects the number of seats on flights from China to Britain to grow to only 30 percent of 2019 capacity by June. “That is really necessary to get people on planes,” she said.

Before the pandemic, China was Australia’s biggest visitor market in terms of spending. The country received 1.4 million Chinese visitors in 2019 who spent $12.4 billion.

Chinese travelers have started to return to visit friends and family, but travel operators do not expect an influx of leisure travelers for several months, as flights are expensive and Australia is not on China’s approved list for group tour destinations. Australia also requires coronavirus testing for Chinese travelers. This month, round-trip flights between China and Australia range between $1,800 and $3,000. Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists were known for being willing to spend money, said James Shen, the owner of Odyssey Travel in Melbourne. “Chinese tourists are the ones who say, ‘I don’t want to take a boat, I want to take a helicopter,’” he said. “It might be a 10-minute journey, 400 Australian dollars — very expensive — but Chinese tourists will say, ‘I want to take this, not the boat, because maybe I’ll get seasick.’”

While many travel operators are eager for their return, some worry that the industry may not be able to keep up with a new influx of tourists.

“The industry disappeared for two years; it’ll be very hard for it to recover,” said Rick Liu, the owner of TanTan Holiday travel agency in Melbourne. Many drivers and tour guides found other work while the tourism industry was on pause, he added, and hiring them back may be difficult.

“I’m happy that we’ll have more tourists, but I’m also a bit worried about whether we’ll be able to accommodate them properly, provide them with high enough quality service,” he added. “We’re a bit out of practice.”

Yan Zhuang contributed reporting from Melbourne, Australia, and Derrick Bryson Taylor from London.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

Ceylan Yeginsu is a travel reporter. She was previously a correspondent for the International desk in Britain and Turkey, covering politics; social justice; the migrant crisis; the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

Thailand expects up to 3.5 mln Chinese tourists this year, below target

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Thailand Aims to Attract 5 Million Chinese Tourists in 2023

     The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is confident of attracting 5 million Chinese tourists in 2023, opening up a new tourist market with the launch of the advertising film series, "Unboxing Thailand 2023".      Chinese tourists contribute significantly to Thailand's tourism industry, playing a key role in boosting and generating substantial revenue.      The TAT revealed that the number of foreign tourists has continued to grow, particularly Chinese tourists visiting Thailand. Data shows that from January 1 to May 18, 2023, there have been 1,003,893 Chinese visitors. To stimulate travel and open up to new tourist markets, TAT has produced the "Unboxing Thailand 2023" advertisement film series, released on online platforms in China from April 18 onwards. The series has received a positive response.      Additionally, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Police (RTP), the "Trusted Thailand, You Taiguo Yue Wan Yue Kaixin" initiative, or "The More You Visit Thailand, The More Fun It Is," was launched. This program invites 60 influential Chinese thought leaders (KOLs), media, airlines, and partners to present information on services and safety measures for tourists. This includes utilizing technology to facilitate communication through the Mobile Emergency Reporting Center 1155 and the Police I Lert U application, which supports multiple languages, enabling tourists to request assistance from the police.      With these plans in place, the TAT is confident that the number of Chinese tourists returning to Thailand will reach close to 1 million per month, similar to the figures in 2019. By October 2023, this is expected to align with the target of 5 million tourists, generating an estimated revenue of 446,000 million baht.

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Thailand welcomes back Chinese tourists

Tourism: Thailand expects 300,000 Chinese tourists in Q1

As Thailand welcomed the first group of Chinese tourists on Monday after updating its arrival policy over the weekend, local authorities fully opened their arms to inbound travelers by removing the requirement of vaccination before entry.

"Visitors who are not vaccinated at all will also be granted entry without restriction. Showing proof of vaccination would be cumbersome and inconvenient, so our decision is that it is unnecessary," Anutin Charnvirakul, deputy prime minister and minister of public health said.

Thailand is also offering visitors a longer period of stay. Effective through March 31, the period of stay is extended from 30 days to 45 for tourists from countries and regions that qualify for visa exemption, and to 30 days instead of 15 for those eligible for a visa on arrival.

The announcement was made after a welcoming ceremony on Monday for the first group of Chinese tourists to arrive at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport since Thailand updated its travel policy.

China optimized its own travel protocol for inbound arrivals on Sunday.

Xiamen Airlines flight MF833, carrying 269 Chinese tourists, landed in the Thai capital after flying from East China's Fujian province.

A large group of greeters led by Anutin, Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn welcomed the tourists after their arrival.

Officials presented the tourists with orchid garlands, souvenirs and tourism information leaflets in Chinese. They also held up a banner that read: "Chinese and Thais come from the same family. Amazing Thailand will always warmly welcome Chinese people."

"That was a big surprise to us. Thailand's people are very amicable," said Ma Xixiao, a traveler from Beijing. "It's exciting that we can come back to Thailand, as we last paid a visit to the country in 2016."

Her trip with family members will cover Bangkok and the coastal city of Pattaya.

"Many of my friends love Thailand very much, and they envy me for the quick decision that made the trip possible," she said.

According to statistics from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Chinese travelers accounted for one-fourth of the total international inbound tourists to Thailand before the COVID-19 pandemic. There were more than 11 million Chinese visitors in 2019 alone, generating over 500 billion baht ($14.95 billion) in tourism revenue.

The number dropped sharply in 2020 and 2021. Last year saw the number of inbound Chinese travelers surge to nearly 290,000.

Following China's optimization of its COVID control policy, the Tourism Authority of Thailand estimated that the number of international inbound tourists this year is likely to reach 25 million.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand believes that starting on Monday, about 300,000 Chinese tourists will arrive in the first quarter — 60,000 in January, 90,000 in February and 150,000 in March. A total of 5 million Chinese tourists are expected to visit Thailand in 2023.

Tanes Petsuwan, the tourism authority's deputy governor for international marketing for Asia and the South Pacific, said he was very glad to see an increase in the number of Chinese visiting Thailand. "Most Thai people are very happy. The situation of COVID-19 is under control. Both the number of deaths and new cases are very low," he said.

Tanes said representatives of Thailand's private sector will be visiting China for business cooperation later. "It will be very good collaboration between Thailand and China," he added.

Phuket, one of the most popular island destinations among Chinese tourists, now has about 60 percent of its private sector back in business. Bhumikitti Ruktaengam, advisory chairman of the Phuket Tourist Association, told local media that about 20 percent of the island's suspended businesses could reopen if Chinese tourists return.

In addition to Chinese tourists' enjoying the beaches and food, "we would like to promote exclusive tour packages in the northeast region, the less-trampled corner of Thailand, which is filled with natural beauty", Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the tourism authority, said.

San Francisco To Welcome Pandas and More Flights From China

Elizabeth Casolo , Skift

April 25th, 2024 at 3:07 PM EDT

San Francisco has experienced a rocky rebound since the pandemic, but promises of pandas and planes may uplift the city’s tourism.

Elizabeth Casolo

San Francisco is gearing up to greet more visitors from China, starting with a pair of pandas.

Mayor London Breed returned from China over the weekend, bringing news of how China intends to send pandas to the San Francisco Zoo as early as 2025. Travel and economic leaders also spoke with Chinese airlines about increasing flights to the city.

China’s tradition of panda diplomacy — bringing giant pandas to the country’s partners with the help of a conservation team — symbolizes more than just new zoo residents. The pandas could draw more U.S. visitors while representing appreciation for the city’s Chinese heritage.

San Francisco’s downtown has been struggling to attract visitors due to some travelers’ negative perception of the city’s safety . The city isn’t expected to go back to pre-pandemic visitor volume until 2026 , according to a March forecast.

Ushering in Tourism Growth

This isn’t the zoo’s first time hosting pandas. In 1985, the San Francisco Zoo hosted two orphaned giant pandas. The pair attracted three times the average number of zoo visitors in their first month, according to a spokesperson. Over one million visitors came for the pandas during their stint.

“The zoo is really beloved by our local community in San Francisco as well as our regional communities. It’s a beloved asset for the state of California,” said Cassandra Costello, San Francisco Travel’s chief policy and external affairs officer. She hopes “history will repeat itself” in terms of turnout for the upcoming panda arrival.

China is one of San Francisco’s largest markets for overseas visitors. According to Costello, Oxford Economics forecasts Chinese visitors will spend $1.1 billion this year in the San Francisco area, just down from the $1.2 billion they spent in 2019. 

“This is a major signal about the strength of our relationship with China, which we know will in turn attract more Chinese visitors,” Costello said.

Now Boarding: More Chinese Flights

During the pandemic, the U.S. and China mutually agreed on limiting flights, but those restrictions are only slowly lifting now.

A spokesperson from San Francisco International Airport told Skift the airport hopes to increase flights with Chinese airlines. China flights have long relied on San Francisco as a gateway to the U.S.

Due to the Covid-era agreement, throughout most of 2023, only a dozen flights ran each week between China and the U.S. (yes, the entire U.S.). As of earlier this year, 50 flights operate. While San Francisco accommodates many of these flights, the airport is only halfway toward a full recovery of Chinese trips.

“Almost every other market has recovered back to pre-pandemic levels and then some,” the spokesperson said. “The exception, of course, is China, due in part because of these bilateral agreement restrictions. It’s not so much what the market will bear — it’s that this kind of limit has been placed on the number of these flights.”

During her press conference, Breed addressed how there is Chinese demand to visit San Francisco, but cost and visas could be barriers. The airport sees how increasing the supply of flights could lower the steep price tag, making the process for Chinese visitors a bit easier.

“Demand for air travel between China and the U.S. is very strong,” the spokesperson said. “But the supply is being artificially constrained by this bilateral agreement. If you relax that further, the more flights there are, the better it is for ticket prices, the better it is for customers.”

San Francisco currently hosts flights with a few Chinese carriers, but the airport wants to increase flights across those partners while expanding to more airlines. Other Chinese carriers include Shenzhen Airlines, China Airlines, and Hainan Airlines.

The U.S. airline industry expressed concern about competition, but the airport believes in the potential of more Chinese flights. The spokesperson said the airport estimates one daily flight from China could bring over $175 million in revenue to local economies and spur 1,200 jobs.

“Even just one additional flight has a really powerful effect to local economies,” he said. 

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Tags: air china , airlines , airlines news , asia pacific , china , china airlines , china eastern , china southern , coronavirus recovery , Hainan Airlines , panda , san francisco , sfo , Shenzhen Airlines , tourism

Photo credit: San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Wu Minglu, secretary general of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, at the panda memorandum signing. Source: San Francisco Travel