2024 is expected to be a tourism year for Southeast Asia as Chinese tourists return in increasingly strong numbers.
Across the region, Chinese arrivals are still below pre-pandemic levels, but there are some bright spots. In Thailand, Chinese tourists are slowly returning to their favorite international destination after a long absence.
In late February, at the 16th-century Tha Phae Gate in Chiang Mai, many Chinese KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) appeared. They wore elegant evening gowns and scattered corn kernels to attract nearby pigeons, startling them into flight. Their wings spread wide as they soared through the air, creating a perfect social media photo, set against the backdrop of a vibrant red sunset.
During the recent Lunar New Year holiday, tour guides around the Grand Palace in Bangkok said they saw more and more groups of Chinese tourists visiting. They came in small groups but spent lavishly.
Chinese tourists pose for photos in front of the Samut Prakan Museum in Thailand in early March. Photo: Xinhua
Picharnyut Rodjananon, 44, a local photographer, says that 90% of his clients now come from China. 2024 was also his "best year since the pandemic" because of the increased number of Chinese tourists. "They also spend more, don't haggle or complain, they just want me to take pictures for them," Rodjananon said.
The Thai government is aiming to attract 8 million Chinese tourists this year with measures such as bilateral visa exemptions and reduced airfares. The country's tourism industry expects these policies to boost the recovery of its most important source market.
Thailand expects to welcome 40 million international tourists this year to solidify its position as the "champion of Southeast Asian tourism". Besides the Chinese market, they also have high hopes for other source markets such as India, South Korea, and Europe.
According to the online travel platform LY.com, the number of Chinese tourists booking accommodations in Thailand and Malaysia during the Lunar New Year holiday is nine times higher than last year.
Spending by Chinese tourists in three Southeast Asian countries also increased nearly sevenfold between February 9-12 (Lunar New Year's Eve to the third day of the new year) compared to the previous year and was 7.5% higher than the same period in 2019. In a February report, economists at HSBC stated that "Chinese people remain willing to spend on travel-related experiences," despite the sluggish domestic economy. Travel-related spending is predicted to continue to far exceed overall domestic consumption.
Gary Bowerman, director of Kuala Lumpur-based travel analytics firm Check-in Asia, said that "a new segment of Chinese tourists – a customer base that will primarily travel in the coming years – will be identified by the end of 2024." He added that Chinese travel in 2024 will be "certainly stronger," and travel trends will include group travel, young couples, and business travelers. The segment of Chinese tourists traveling after the pandemic is also very diverse.
This diversity is evident nightly in Chiang Mai, where hot pot restaurants are packed with older patrons while younger crowds are drawn to upscale eateries, bars, and live music events. "Nightlife tourism and the night economy are something to think seriously about," Bowerman said of the factors attracting young Chinese tourists. Gen Z travelers want things to do, to participate in experiences, not just to hang out in bars. "They want to find things that help them connect while experiencing the nightlife," according to Bowerman.
But like many cities in Southeast Asia, Chiang Mai has only a handful of flights to China. Supamit Kitjapipat, owner of Siripanna Villa Resort & Spa and head of the city's Tourism Business Association, said that the lack of flights, low airport capacity, and few large tour groups have kept the number of visitors to pre-pandemic levels. To address this, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has pledged to increase the airport's capacity and expand it to double the number of visitors to 16 million a year in the next three to four years. Supamit hopes Chiang Mai will become a new transit hub, where Chinese tourists can drive in and then catch flights to other cities.
According to Todd Handcock, global chief commercial officer and Asia-Pacific president of Collinson Group, which operates the Priority Pass lounge access program, airport lounge traffic from mainland China will be six times higher in 2023 than in 2022. He expects this growth to continue after the Lunar New Year holiday, with markets such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia benefiting. He also expects traffic to accelerate in the coming months thanks to Thailand's Chinese-friendly visa policy and pent-up demand for international travel after the pandemic. In addition, travel agents are expanding their customer base in third-tier cities in China - cities that are less developed than Beijing and Shanghai - which are a huge potential market because most people there have hardly ever traveled.
“They tip well and they are easygoing,” said Pat Chantayanon, a tour guide with 30 years of experience, about why he looks forward to Chinese tourists.
( By Anh Minh , according to SCMP )
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