Chinese, Thai tourist numbers surge

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand has increased by 30 percent year-on-year, major Chinese travel agency Trip.com Group reported on March 1. The date marks a year since the permanent visa-free policy between the two countries took effect.

Since Thailand announced the policy last year, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Thailand has undergone a rapid increase, especially during the New Year and Spring Festival periods.

In the first two months of this year, more than 1 million tourists visited Thailand, once again making China the largest source of inbound tourism for Thailand.

At the same time, Thai tourist bookings to China have tripled compared to last year, and have increased by over 160 percent since 2019, according to the travel agency.

The most popular Chinese cities for Thai tourists include Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Kunming in Yunnan province, and Beijing.

Qin Jing, vice-president of Trip.com Group, said that China and Thailand are both important tourist destinations and source markets, and the mutual visa exemption is significant to the development of tourism on both sides.

It also sends a positive signal about China's openness, which will drive significant growth in inbound tourism, Qin said.