Chinese tourist numbers to Thailand plummet 34%, industry awaits recovery
This sharp decline has forced Thai tourism authorities and operators to revise their forecasts and ramp up efforts to attract visitors, amidst a challenging global environment.
Statistics for the first six months of 2025 show a cumulative 16,685,466 international tourist arrivals in Thailand, marking a 4.66% decrease year-on-year.
A major factor in this slump is the Chinese market, which saw only 2,265,556 visitors, a substantial 34.13% drop.
This has pushed China from its top spot, now trailing behind Malaysia, which recorded 2,299,897 arrivals, albeit with a 5.58% decrease itself.
Sisdivachr Cheewaratanaporn, Honorary President and Senior Advisor of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), estimates that Chinese tourist arrivals for the entirety of 2025 will likely reach only five million.
With 2.26 million already recorded by June, this means an ambitious push to attract at least another 2.74 million Chinese visitors is needed in the latter half of the year.
"If we market effectively and stimulate demand continuously, we could see tourist numbers touch six million," Sisdivachr stated.
"While this would signify a substantial recovery for this year, it's a reality we must accept that it's less than the 6.7 million recorded in 2024, and below the latest target of 6.9 million set by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)."
Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, President of ATTA, emphasised the enduring importance of the Chinese market.
"Reducing our reliance on it completely is a difficult task," he explained. "Our priority now is to maintain the flow of travel, given the sheer size of the Chinese market base."
He also voiced concerns about the speed of government intervention.
"The association hopes the government will implement measures to restore confidence among Chinese tourists more quickly. It's quite slow now; half the year has passed, and the private sector cannot work in isolation. The government must step in."
Following the Cabinet's approval of a 3.96 billion baht economic stimulus budget, TAT is dedicating a portion to boost the charter flight market from China.
ATTA is awaiting a definitive plan from TAT to allow the private sector to coordinate marketing efforts effectively for the second half of the year, a period fraught with challenges and negative factors.
In a proactive move, ATTA is organising "Roadshow to China 2025" in Chongqing, Lanzhou, and Hangzhou from July 27 to Aug 2.
This initiative, a collaboration between public and private entities, will see Thai operators engage in B2B matching with leading Chinese tour companies and promote Thai attractions and services.
The aim is to revitalise and expand the Chinese tourist market after the impact of Covid-19 and shifts in Chinese travel behaviour led to a 30-40% contraction in arrivals earlier in the year, affecting all segments of the tourism industry.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of TAT, outlined plans for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026. The 3.96 billion baht budget, approved on June 24, will fund seven projects.
These include the "Thailand Summer Blast - China & Overseas Market Stimulus Plan," with a 750 million baht budget running until July 2026.
This plan includes subsidising charter flights at 350,000 baht per flight for at least 1,000 flights from 15 secondary Chinese cities and other potential markets, directing them to key Thai destinations like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai.
Joint promotional activities with commercial airlines are also planned, involving at least five airlines. Additionally, initiatives to stimulate the MICE sector and summer camps are in the pipeline, aiming to attract at least 10 partners.
TAT projects that the "Thailand Summer Blast" programme alone will generate 33.518 billion baht in tourism revenue from at least 790,000 international visitors.
A significant project is the "Trusted Thailand" image-building campaign, with a 300 million baht budget until September 2026.
This will involve promoting Thailand through global and regional campaigns featuring prominent figures like celebrities and influencers, emphasising Thailand as a safe destination. Content creation, including films, series, and music videos showcasing Thailand, will also be a key component.
TAT is also developing the "Thailand Safe Travel Stamp" to enhance safety standards across the tourism industry and promote accredited operators, aiming for extensive offline and online media reach.
Furthermore, a 120 million baht publicity campaign for 2025, running until September, will target international markets by promoting ultra-luxury tourism to high-spending visitors, aiming for 500 million impressions through global influencers and Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs).
Domestically, the focus is on promoting attractive cities and weekday travel, with a 20 million baht budget and a target of 100 million impressions.
Finally, the "Marketing Thai Tourism through Online Travel Agent (OTA) Platforms" project, with an 800 million baht budget, will offer discount codes (up to 17.5%, max 1,500 baht per code, 533,333 codes) through OTAs for international and Chinese tourists.
This is expected to generate 7.2 billion baht in direct sales from at least 950,000 international tourist arrivals between June and December 2025. - The Nation/ANN
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