Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), revealed that the Chinese tourist market remains an important hope for Thailand’s tourism industry in 2024. TAT aims to attract 8.5 million Chinese tourists to Thailand next year.
It is estimated that 3.4–3.5 million Chinese visitors will have entered Thailand by the end of this year, lower than the target of four million. This is a result of the difficulties facing the Chinese economy; the Chinese government, therefore, focuses on promoting domestic tourism.
In addition, the TAT plans to propose to the government that it renew the visa-free measure for Chinese tourists, which will end on 29 February 2024. The TAT will also consider increasing the number of days of stay for tourists from countries that already enjoy the 30-day visa-free scheme to 90 days. (PRD)
