Regional tourism rivalry is intensifying
Thailand remains a top destination for Chinese travellers during the upcoming Lunar New Year, but tourism consultants said the country should still develop new attractions and experiences to compete with emerging markets.
Thailand and Bangkok remain among the top five outbound destinations across several online travel platforms for the holiday, according to Dragon Trail International, a marketing company specialising in Chinese consumers.
By 2030, Thailand is projected to welcome 35% more Chinese visitors than in 2019, a weaker growth rate than regional peers such as South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore, said Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics Company.
Sienna Parulis-Cook, director of marketing and communications at Dragon Trail, said the Chinese market looks promising for Thailand during the nine-day holiday period. Thailand should benefit from Chinese tourists redirecting travel from Japan amid a political dispute, she said.
“Thailand remains a favourite traditional destination,” said Ms Parulis-Cook, citing strong demand for beaches, islands and relaxing travel, according to its survey.
Thailand ranked first on the Chinese online travel agent Qunar for outbound destinations, placed third on Mafengwo and fourth on Tuniu, while Bangkok ranked second on Tongcheng and third on Flight Master.
According to Flight Master, the number of flights to and from China between Feb 2 and March 13 is expected to recover to 90% of the 2019 level.
Thailand has the highest number of international flights from the mainland, although it remains 27% below the 2019 level, followed by South Korea and Malaysia, down 2% and up 68% from 2019, respectively.
Japan ranked fourth, down 43% from the 2019 level, while Vietnam ranked fifth, up 42% from the 2019 tally.
Flights from Southeast Asia and East Asia are estimated to be 4% and 22% below 2019 levels, respectively, while Europe and West Asia improved by 26% and 61% for the period, according to Flight Master.
Ms Parulis-Cook said 55% of surveyed travel agents said families with children are the leading market for Chinese New Year travel sales.
According to CTrip, the most popular destinations for families with kids aged up to 12 were Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Sanya and Kunming.
“A risk for Thailand is it has been popular for so long, meaning many Chinese tourists have already gone there and they may be looking for something fresh and new,” said Ms Parulis-Cook.
She said this is one factor that helps drive Vietnam’s tourism as travellers can visit beaches and islands there, similar to their experiences in Thailand.
Thai operators should look into attracting tourists from smaller Chinese cities to target first-time visitors, as well as developing new destinations and experiences to lure back repeat visitors, said Ms Parulis-Cook.
She said Thailand has been focusing too heavily on large tour groups and shopping, which does not align with the growing preference for smaller groups and independent travel, with shopping becoming less of a priority for Chinese visitors.
According to Dragon Trail, 55% of travel agents reported private and small‑group holidays sold best during Chinese New Year, while only 27% said the same of group tours.
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