Chinese tourists are the 'goose that lays the most golden eggs' in the tourism industry

Chinese tourists are considered the "goose that lays the most golden eggs" after the pandemic and Thailand is winning the race to attract this group of tourists.

Leading industry experts around the world say the return of Chinese tourists will "open the way for a spectacular global tourism revival" this year.

Chinese tourists take photos at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, within the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Photo: AEP-AFP — Chinese tourists take photos at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, within the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Photo: *EPA-EFE*

Aircraft manufacturers, airline and hotel CEOs at the Qatar Economic Forum (May 23-25) said demand for travel from China was “huge” and “absolutely explosive.” Sebastien Bazin, head of hotel group Accor, said “millions” of Chinese tourists could boost tourism revenue in the coming months.

Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al-Bake said all of their planes leaving China were “full.” Chinese travelers not only pay high airfares, but also spend more on services at Doha airport than visitors from other countries.

Thailand is one of the countries that has benefited the most from the return of Chinese tourists. The number of Chinese tourists to the country continues to increase. Thailand is expected to welcome one million visitors from the mainland each month from October, when tourism activities are boosted during the winter and long holidays. That is the same number as in 2019.

According to the Bangkok Post , more than 12,800 flights from China landed in Thailand from October 2022 to April this year. Nopasit Chakpitak, president of Thai Aviation Radio, said that there were more than 5,300 flights in May alone. September is expected to increase by one and a half times, still down 60% compared to 2019. But the increasing frequency of flights from China has contributed to the increase in passenger numbers, exceeding expectations.

Thailand welcomed 9.47 million international visitors in the first five months of the year (as of May 20), earning more than 390 billion baht (11 billion USD) from tourism. Previously, the country only expected to welcome 18-20 million international visitors in 2023, 1.5 times higher than in 2022. As soon as China opened up to international tourism in early January, the government adjusted the forecast for international visitors to 25 million. The additional number is expected to come from Chinese visitors. In many surveys from booking applications, Thailand has always been the number one favorite destination for Chinese visitors after the pandemic.

Experts also predict that the number of tickets and hotel rooms will continue to increase in the coming period, partly thanks to Chinese tourists. The summer tourist season in the Northern Hemisphere is expected to bring air traffic back to nearly December 2019 levels. "The desire to travel has never been greater. The industry is struggling to meet that demand," said Boeing President David Calhoun.

“We’ve been through two years of hell,” Bazin said, noting that luxury room rates are 33-35% higher and standard rates are 10-12% higher than in 2019. The hotel industry needs to recover trillions of dollars in lost revenue, while recruiting and retaining staff is becoming increasingly difficult.

"The business model of selling cheaply, making low profits, and paying low labor costs is no longer effective," said Thai-American billionaire who owns the Minor International hotel group Ellwood Heinecke.

Anh Minh (According to Straitstimes , SCMP )

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