China and Thailand to work on promoting tourism in China and ASEAN

The association’s secretary-general Adith Chairattananon said he recently held discussions with the academy’s president, Dai Bin, on utilising research to support the country’s development.

He added that the plan aligned with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s policy to promote China as a leader in every aspect of the tourism industry, including generating revenue and improving Chinese people’s quality of life.

“This means tourism is not only about generating revenue for the economy. Chinese research and academic works should be utilised for the national benefit across all dimensions including the economy and the environment,” he explained.

He added that the China Tourism Academy wishes to work with relevant public and private agencies to provide the Chinese government with accurate and effective research focusing on end-user participation.

Adith further explained that the academy president has proposed setting up a tourism research team, comprising 100 researchers from China and ASEAN countries, to study the best ways to promote collaboration in tourism development.

The collaboration plan to promote tourism development in China and ASEAN would benefit over 2 billion people in China and ASEAN, including 1.4 billion in China and 600 million in ASEAN.

Once the plan’s framework is set up, it will be proposed to the Chinese government for approval. Chinese ambassador Han Zhiqiang will collaborate with the Thai government on the memorandum of understanding (MOU), he said.

He expects the MOU signing ceremony to be hosted next year as a part of the 50th anniversary of the Thailand-China relationship.

Adith said Thailand would be chosen as a tourism hub for promoting China-ASEAN tourism globally, thanks to its strong relationship with China, the global acceptance of the Thai tourism industry, its geographic location and its potential for collaboration with ASEAN countries.