Chinese NY hopes for Thai tourism revival
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The forthcoming Chinese New Year period is hoped to brings a change of fortunes for Thailand, as 500,000 tourists per day are expected to arrive in the Kingdom, generating approximately THB550 million (US$14.3 million), Xinhua reported. 20% of the arrivals are expected to be foreigners.
The Chinese Lunar New Year falls on 26 January this year, and Thailand has scheduled the period 23 January to 4 February for a series of celebrations to target tourists in Thailand’s major tourist destinations such as include Bangkok’s Chinatown, Ayutthaya, Pattaya, Nakhon Ratchasima, Chiang Mai, and Phuket, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced at a press conference in Bangkok Wednesday.
Meanwhile Xinhua reported that Chinese tourists are being told that Thailand is once again safe to visit. Chen Jiang, Cultural Counsellor with the Embassy of China in Bangkok, told the Chinese state news agency that the China has already cancelled the tourist warnings put in place during the political protests of late 2008.
“If the society is peaceful, they will come,” Chen was reported saying, with reference to Chinese tourists travelling to Thailand.
Thailand is targeting a total of 1.05 million visitors from China in 2009, having missed its target of 1.2 million travellers last year, the report said.
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