Thailand's tourism will flourish in 2025, thanks to a booming travel appetite towards China. Santisuk Klongchaiya, CEO of Thai AirAsia, highlights that visa-free travel between Thailand and China has not only made the decision to travel much easier, but has also contributed to an increase in Thai travel to the Middle Kingdom. The positive response to this agreement is clearly reflected in the booking data, which is also confirmed by Akaporn Rodkong, Agoda's country director for Thailand.

More and more Thai travelers are heading to China, with cities like Chongqing, Chengdu and Guangzhou among the favorites. The variety of sights, rich culture, delicious food and tempting shopping opportunities make the country extremely attractive. All this with a relatively low cost of living - you could say that traveling is fun!

Growing desire to travel

Agoda's latest report shows that Japan, Vietnam, China, South Korea and Malaysia are among the top five travel destinations for Thais. China in particular has recently seen a jump of 84% compared to last year. Luckily, technological advances are making traveling easier: improved language support and streamlined payment methods in China are taking the travel experience to new levels. And public transport is no longer a hurdle for visitors!

According to the surveys, 73% of Thai travelers cited relaxation as the main motive for their trips. Wellness trips and culinary experiences are also very popular at 30% and 20% respectively. Interestingly, 69% of respondents indicate that they would travel more often if visa restrictions were lifted. This clearly has the potential to further boost tourism.

Cultural connections and sporting events

Tourism cooperation between Thailand and China will continue to be strengthened, especially through the visa exemption that came into effect in March 2024. This arrangement has not only boosted the number of Thai visitors to China to increase by an impressive 493.8% in the first half of 2024, but also increased the number of Chinese tourists in Thailand to 6.73 million. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, highlights the importance of the exchange for economic development in both countries.

As part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China, TAT is planning a variety of events, including major Chinese New Year celebrations. These are intended to deepen the cultural connections between the two countries and focus on Thai attractions such as local cuisine and adventure tourism.

Additionally, Thailand will host international sporting events to provide a first-class experience for Chinese sports enthusiasts. Harbin's winter tourism offerings are becoming increasingly important for Thai visitors and provide an attractive contrast to Thailand's warm climate. The government is making every effort to ensure the safety of visitors by introducing state-of-the-art technologies such as AI-powered surveillance systems and multilingual helplines. That's a good sign for the future of tourism!

With so much movement and interest in the travel industry, it remains to be seen how these developments will continue to unfold in the coming years.