TAT thanks govt for agreeing visa waiver with China
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says it expects the Thailand-China visa policy waiver to boost the tourism industry of both countries, noting that travellers will benefit from more flights and cheaper plane tickets.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said on Wednesday that the agency had thanked the government for reaching the agreement with the Chinese authorities to waive visa requirements for both Thai and Chinese citizens permanently from March 1.
“This policy will greatly improve travellers’ convenience and benefit the tourism industries of both Thailand and China,” she said. “We will likely see more direct flights on both new and existing routes, while prices of air tickets should go down following the significant spikes during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
When asked if TAT would adjust its estimation for Chinese arrivals for 2024, which is currently 8 million people, Thapanee said the agency would discuss this and other related issues during an executive meeting with Sudawan Wangsupakitkosol, Minister of Tourism and Sports to be held in the near future.
The directors of five TAT offices in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Chengdu, and Guangzhou) will also attend the meeting and will review marketing strategies as well as present new ones once the visa-free policy takes effect.
Thapanee added that the TAT would also focus on attracting residents of China’s secondary provinces who have never been to Thailand by launching PR and marketing campaigns in this untapped market.
TAT has set a total revenue target for 2024 of 3.5 trillion baht — 2.5 trillion baht from international tourists and 1 trillion baht from domestic travellers.
