Japan has overtaken Thailand to become the top destination for Chinese vacationers during this Golden Week holiday of China, starting today, according to Ctrip.com, a major tourism website of China.
This is the first time Thailand has lost its top destination status to Japan during the holiday season which is expected to see about 7 million Chinese travel abroad, said the website.The number of Chinese vacationers expected to make an overseas trip during this year’s Golden Week rises from 6 million recorded during the same period last year, said the website.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok has issued a travel advisory for Chinese nationals intending to visit Thailand during this holiday season to beware of volatile weather conditions and high sea waves while travelling in Phuket, Phang-nga and Krabi.
The three southern provinces are three most popular southern destinations for Chinese visitors to Thailand. The move followed the tour boat disaster in Phuket in July in which nearly 50 Chinese tourists died when a dive boat capsized in rough waters off Phuket.
Kongsak Khuphongsakorn, president of Thai Hotels Association’s Southern Chapter, however, said the number of hotel bookings by Chinese tourists visiting southern Thailand from today until next Wednesday, the period of China’s Golden Week, have risen to the usual level after a drop by between 10% and 12% last month during the monsoon.
Government spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has ::) instructed all government organizations concerned to speed up boosting confidence among tourists in Thailand’s tourism after a Chinese tourist was physically assaulted by a Thai security guard at Dong Mueang airport.
