Devil doll Labubu to help attract 8m Chinese visitors to Thailand
A devil doll with pointed ears and serrated teeth is expected to help Thailand reach its goal of 8 million Chinese visitors this year, Tourism and Sports Minister Sermsak Pongpanit said on Monday.
Labubu, the spooky star of the campaign, arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport in traditional Thai attire on Monday and received a warm welcome from the minister and fans.
The famous art toy is heading a 1-million-baht campaign organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Chinese toy company Pop Mart.
Sermsak said the campaign would drive arrivals of Chinese tourists towards the target after 3.5 million visited the country in the first five months.
China was Thailand’s biggest tourism market before the pandemic, accounting for over 11 million of the record 39 million tourists in 2019. But Chinese visitor numbers recovered slowly with only 3.5 million last year, spurring the government to introduce a permanent visa-free policy for Chinese nationals in March, since when arrivals have surged.
“By the end of this year, the overall number of foreign arrivals could hit 36.7 million people,” the tourism minister added.
TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said Thailand was the first country to launch a Labubu campaign, saying the toy would also helm celebrations of 50 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China.
The devil doll will present five tourism routes under the strategy “5 Must Dos in Thailand”: must eat (Thai food), must see (Thai shows), must seek (Thai culture), must buy (Thai fabric) and must beat (Muay Thai).
Labubu has a busy Bangkok itinerary from Tuesday to Thursday. Look out for her:
- Dining on seafood at Horsamut Restaurant by the Chao Phraya River
- Riding a tuk-tuk to explore the beauty of Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) and the Grand Palace
- Enjoying a massage at Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)
- Visiting popular shopping areas like Siam Discovery and Siam Square
- Purchasing souvenirs and watching a Muay Thai match at Lumpinee Stadium
The campaign is expected to reach at least 500 million people, Thapanee said, adding that it would promote over 20,000 travel packages.
“We believe this campaign will start trending and attract more Chinese tourists to Thailand,” she said.
Thailand-themed Labubu art toys are set to launch in September or October.
TAT is also poised to reveal a second mascot to draw international visitors. Butterbear, the face of Thailand's Coffee Beans by Dao, will add more flavour to tourism campaigns from this month onwards.
