Mr. Sermsak Pongpanit, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said “Thailand and China have enjoyed 50 years of diplomatic relations that have resulted in flourishing trade and closer culture and tourism ties. The ‘Nihao Month’ festival is organised to further strengthen the tourism cooperation between the two nations and boost awareness for the unprecedented celebrations each nation has planned to commemorate this milestone occasion.”
Mr. Sermsak presided over the launch ceremony, together with Mrs. Chang Yumeng, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Thailand, and Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor. Also present were representatives from private sector.
Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, said “The Nihao Month heralds the grand celebration TAT has planned for the 50th Anniversary of Thailand-China relations. In this connection, TAT warmly invites Chinese tourists to come enjoy this Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week in Thailand and many more special events scheduled through the end of this year to early next year, culminating in the Chinese New Year and the 50th year festivity.”
TAT has set a target for the Nihao Month festival to materialise into 250,000 arrivals from China during the upcoming Golden Week. Special events and promotion would help generate about 500 million reaches and further enhance the positive image of Thailand as the preferred destination for Chinese tourists.
Commencing in September is a “KOLs Mega Fam Trip” up to 100 KOLs from China. The activity is intended to boost awareness of Thailand’s soft power and five must-do activities through content shared with followers of the participating KOLs via various online platforms, including Little Red Book, Weibo, and Douyin, reaching some 100 million views.
The buzz surrounding the Nihao Month is set to reach 400 million more views through the “Amazing Thailand, Mid-Autumn Night” with a special appearance by famous Chinese actor Luo Yunxi, along with Thai actors DaOu Pittaya Sae-chow and Mai Davika Hoorne. The event will be held on 17 September at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon, Bangkok.
In October, TAT will present well-known Thai artists in the “Sound of Friendship Concert” at Siam Paragon in Bangkok. There will be one show per day on 5 and 12 October, plus a ‘Meet & Greet’ activity for lucky fans.
In addition to the special events, the “Joint Promotions” between TAT and China’s leading travel platforms, including Ctrip, Fliggy, Meituan, Tongcheng, and UnionPay, will be launched to motivate Chinese tourists to book travel to Thailand. With varied active dates between September and December, the promotions range from special deals on airfares, accommodation, and travel activities to discount vouchers and souvenirs.
What’s more, Chinese tourists visiting Thailand from 19 September to 31 October can take advantage of the ‘Chinese Passport Special Deals’, which TAT is promoting in cooperation with shopping malls, transportation services, duty-free shops, spas, and restaurants. Upon showing their passports to the participating vendors, Chinese tourists will be offered the privileges, special deals, and lifestyle benefits.
Additionally, TAT is jointly organising two Thailand-China friendship caravan trips for 200 travellers.
The first trip, from 22 September to 13 October, will comprise 50 travellers and 20 luxury vehicles including Land Rover, BMW, and Porsche. Covering Lao PDR, Thailand, and Malaysia, the caravan will enter Thailand on 27 September and will travel through Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hua Hin, Chumphon, Trang, Nakhon Sawan, and Chiang Rai, totalling 11 days.
The second trip, from 30 September to 7 October, will comprise 150 quality leisure travellers and 50 vehicles from Kunming, China. The caravan will feature Thailand only on the Chiang Rai – Chiang Mai – Lampang route.
China is Thailand’s largest visitor market, contributing 11 million tourists in the pre-pandemic year in 2019 and showing a sign of rebound with 3.5 million visitors in 2023. Buoyed by Thailand-China mutual visa exemption, coupled with strategic marketing campaigns and promotions TAT has been proactively implementing, Thailand already recorded 4.5 million arrivals from China between 1 January and 17 August 2024. The momentum is expected to continue to successfully reach the year’s target of 7.3 million arrivals.
