Travel agents call for visa fee waiver, campaigns to woo more Chinese tourists

Association president Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn said the aim is to attract up to 5 million Chinese tourists and achieve the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) target for 2023. This initiative is expected to support the recovery of the tourism industry, which was heavily impacted after a boat accident in Phuket in 2018. The visa-fee exemption is meant to instil confidence and encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Thailand.

Currently, arrivals from China to Thailand are still relatively slow, with only around 1.6 million visitors in the first six months of the year. To reach the goal of 5 million Chinese tourists this year, there is a need to attract an additional 3.4 million visitors in the latter half of the year. This might prove challenging, considering the difficulties faced by some Chinese tourists in obtaining Thai visas, Sisdivachr said.

While Thailand is making efforts to increase Chinese tourist arrivals, other countries in the region are also competing for the Chinese tourist market. Malaysia, for example, offers easier visa procedures, taking only 1-3 days to process, with visa fee of around 200 yuan (or 956 baht) per application. In contrast, Thailand's visa application fee, including service charges, could amount to 400-500 yuan (or 1,912 - 2,390 baht) per application, while the Visa on Arrival fee stands at 500 yuan (or 2,390 baht). As a result, some Chinese tour groups have shifted their focus to travel to Malaysia instead, Sisdivachr added.

It is estimated that the Chinese tourist market to Thailand might show significant improvement next year. The TAT's target of 25.8 million tourist arrivals seems achievable, as the trend indicates a likely recovery of Chinese tourists' interest in Thailand. Furthermore, the association anticipates that other markets in East Asia, such as Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, together with China, would account for around 12.48 million visitors in 2024, Sisdivachr said.

Thailand is also targeting the Asean market, with an estimated 10.5 million visitors. Malaysia is expected to be the primary destination for around 4 million visitors, while other countries such as Laos, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines will account for an additional 6.8 million visitors, according to Sisdivachr.

Thailand continues to be the top choice for Chinese travellers searching for accommodation on Airbnb during the summer of this year, with search numbers almost six times higher than the previous year. Malaysia and the Philippines have also experienced a significant increase in search numbers, with more than 10 times the searches compared to the previous year.

Overall, the domestic tourism markets in many countries in the region have gained popularity and continued growth. Thailand has experienced over 35% growth in domestic accommodation bookings through the Airbnb platform in 2022 compared to 2019, Sisdivachr added.