Loss of Chinese visitors hits Chiang Mai tourism hard

[webfact]

Loss of Chinese visitors hits Chiang Mai tourism hard

By THE NATION

 

 

Tourism in Chiang Mai has taken a severe hit because of the outbreak of the new coronavirus, Pakkanan Winitchai, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)’s Chiang Mai Office, said.

 

“Chiang Mai is one of the most popular tourist attractions for Chinese tourists, especially during New Year and Chinese New Year, but since the virus outbreak they have cancelled trips and hotel reservations up until March,” she said.

 

“Statistics from 2018 show that Chiang Mai welcomed more than 10 million visitors, 3 million of whom were foreign tourists and one-third of them Chinese,” she added. “Of the visitors, 70 per cent visited Chiang Mai on their own vehicles while 30 per cent came with guided tour groups. Tourism entrepreneurs in Chiang Mai could see a huge drop in income this year because of cancellations by guided tour groups in the first quarter of the year.”

 

Pakkanan further added that TAT’s Chiang Mai Office had discussed with 11 other provincial offices to come up with measures to boost tourism in the northern region to compensate for lost income.

 

“We agreed to organise more new events to highlight tourist attractions of each province, as well as stage more cultural events from February to April,” she said.

 

“As for Chiang Mai, we will hold the ‘Lanna Gastronomy’ event to promote over 50 restaurants in Chiang Mai that have been awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand and Michelin Plate since last November.

 

Meanwhile, Chiang Rai will hold events to highlight their OTOP [one tambon one product], which includes an assortment of teas and coffees.

 

“Furthermore, TAT will help attract more foreign tourists besides Chinese such as Indians and Koreans by working with Airports of Thailand to reduce landing fees for planes from these countries at Chiang Mai International Airport and Mae Fah Luang-Chiang Rai International Airport,” she added.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30381557?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=internal_referral

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-02-04

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[sweatalot]

Still they don't even mention the loss of European visitors. May be because it did not happen out of the sudden like with the Chinese. It continued over a long time year on year. But it will be more sustained and not as easy to reverse.

[from the home of CC]

3 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

Still they don't even mention the loss of European visitors. May be because it did not happen out of the sudden like with the Chinese. It continued over a long time year on year. But it will be more sustained and not as easy to reverse.

maybe it's because they just don't make that much of an impact..

[fhickson]

get jobs that cater to local thai, rather then relying on foreigners for everything!

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, fhickson said:

get jobs that cater to local thai, rather then relying on foreigners for everything!

Back to the rice fields?

[RotBenz8888]

53 minutes ago, webfact said:

Furthermore, TAT will help attract more foreign tourists besides Chinese such as Indians and Koreans

.....but it has to get much worse before we welcome falang.

[Just1Voice]

Live in CM over 10 years.  Do not miss them at all. 

[Titan1962]

A bit like the old saying,don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

Maybe they should ease up a bit on the long term expats wanting to live here,65,000 baht every month is better than nothing.
 

[legend49]

Oh dear the pigeon feed sellers and photographers who are suppose to be banned lay idle at that Thapae gate area. No easy Chinese money.

[DoctorG]

The white-shirt girl in the photo is sexually harassing that poor guy while her girlfriends egg her on.

[RotBenz8888]

"Come on, 1000B. We can wear N95s if you're paranoid".

[johng]

@DoctorG  you have a vivid imagination !

[DoctorG]

1 minute ago, johng said:

@DoctorG  you have a vivid imagination !

I am only here for the LOLS. Guess it did not amuse you. Sorry about that.

[ChakaKhan]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

“Furthermore, TAT will help attract more foreign tourists besides Chinese such as Indians and Koreans

Well at least the chubby old thai massage ladies still smile and wave at me daily when I ride my bike in city!

 

But I gotta say, riding daily in the city, its shocking to witness the exodus, is nice but just feels so surreal at the same time. And as someone noted before perfect time to SHUT EVERYTHING down (thai logic?) Wat Pra Singh-TP Gate-Maya @Nimman fountain- SW Park in Old City  <deleted>?!  Seems some kind of new festival AKA selfie zone is coming as Im seeing flowers popping up everywhere..but is almost the saying if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it does it exist?? 

 

Hey lets go do yoga in the park--nope

How about feeding filthy birds at TP gate? Nah

Go donate 20 baht to a buddhist temple-as its all about $$$ to buddha!--mai dai-cannot-solly

Go take a selfie at Maya fountain with chinese?  closed

 

Go take a drive around old town and nimman--just feels like it was a bad dream

Perhaps the nightmare is just beginning?   

 

Well im sure the thais love it---no more loud chinese haggling over durian...bringing happiness

back to the thais....why soooo serious?!...you tink too mutt...why no sleep?? ..I go eat rice....mai pen rai

 

Well Maybe I will be the only Grandpa for the girls to fight over at the bar---Hello Teerak! Joop Joop!

[ChakaKhan]

8 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

"Come on, 1000B. We can wear N95s if you're paranoid".

I want a mama cup-snail white-durian-Iphone-Hot pot-latex pillow-dried seaweed and Im yours!

Must have been a BOGO on the shoe shopping w/ friend..No nikes? Converse? Yankee caps???!!

(pigeons are gonna have to pull those bootstraps up-an maybe fly the coop!) Now is my chance to loot those bricks and sell them on alibaba since they seem to have some magic powers/? Alipay accepted.

[ChakaKhan]

13 minutes ago, RotBenz8888 said:

"Come on, 1000B. We can wear N95s if you're paranoid".

had a thai gal want 2000-2500 on TF the other day..times are getting tough...paang mak mak!

[peterpop]

Don't desecrate the ancient wall,  It must be 5 years old now!

[Markus Rider]

according to The Nation, out of 10 million visitors, only 1 million (equals 10 %) were Chinese. Since about 80 % of them are not visiting Chiang Mai anymore, the loss in tourists can only be  a maximum of 8 %. Am I wrong ?

[Burma Bill]

Quote:-

"TAT will help attract more foreign tourists besides Chinese such as Indians and Koreans"

 

They can now forget the Koreans as one recently contracted the virus whilst in Thailand and, no doubt, there will now be health warnings for Korean tourists wanting to visit LOS!

[CGW]

7 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Back to the rice fields?

Solly no water, maybe in 4 months, but maybe then it will be flooded, sustainable tourism still not even mentioned!

[hotchilli]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Loss of Chinese visitors hits Chiang Mai tourism hard

I feel your pain... hope you saved for a rainy day?

[balo]

Must be great news for Western expats living there, maybe the city can get back to normal. Like it was 20 years ago. 

[Trujillo]

Given that this virus may or may not be deadly, may or may not be bio-engineered as a weapon, and may or may not be spreading here in Thailand, one thing is for sure: the Chinese are not people you want to be around at this time. 

 

I was in Rimping Maya Mall branch, and the place was lousy with them. The longer I was there, the more I had this feeling in the back of my mind that mixing with these people was a bad idea. I was thinking, "Who knows where these people have been, or who they have been in contact with. It's a absolute fact that they came here on a full plane load of other Chinese...."

 

I'd say ban all of them from entering, and those that are here do not renew any visas. 

[Isaan sailor]

Less is more, Thailand.  Less is more.

[rickudon]

This obsession with Chinese tourism is what gets me. They only account for 25% of the total. another 25% is local - the Asean countries. Where do the 50% come from? Europe , USA, Australia, Korea and Japan.

 

So to pander to 25% of your market, you risk alienating the rest? The numbers from other countries were already stagnating or falling, before Coronavirus,  due to many factors. but the Chinese were definitely one of them. 

 

Fortunately I do not live in an area visited by chinese tourists, for which i am thankful! Only once got seriously caught up in the mass tour phenomenon, when 100's descended on the restaurant we were going to eat at, while on holiday and passing through Bangkok. Unfortunately we were already waiting for our food, which then took a long time, and the noise was unbelievable, I was looking for my earplugs. It was like being in a football match, complete with shoving and pushing. Then, in the space of 5 minutes the noise dwindled to nothing as they all left,,,,,,

 

So by allowing Chinese to still come while this epidemic is continueing, you will definitely impact the decisions of many of the 75% of your tourists who MIGHT have come to Thailand.......

 

It is a bit ironic that China had already stopped most of the Chinese tourists with their quarantine rules. There is little benefit from allowing the rest of the chinese to come as the financial benefit is small and you alienate your other market sectors.

[Scott Tracy]

That, in my mind works out to be 10% of tourists were Chinese. Once I figured out what he was saying....

Even if no Chinese came, 9 million would still have come. The article didn't specify revenue, but if the Chinese spent the same as domestic and other foreign tourists, that's a 10% hit. If they spent twice as much as everyone else, that's a 10.77% hit....isn't it?

 

 

[GilesA]

They lost me because of the appalling air quality and police road blocks 2-3 times daily being pulled over to check my driving licence. It was surprising they didn't recognise me after several months harassment. After TM30 nonsense and health "insurance" goodbye Thailand altogether.

 

How are the police going to finance themselves without fining the thousands of Chinese tourists who were fined for not having the right licence now they stay away?

[GilesA]

On 2/4/2020 at 8:44 PM, balo said:

Must be great news for Western expats living there, maybe the city can get back to normal. Like it was 20 years ago. 

If they permanently wear an N95 mask, possibly