Chinese tourism boost: TAT aims for 5 million visitors despite real estate woes

[webfact]

 

Despite concerns surrounding China’s current real estate market downturn, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) remains optimistic about its prospects of attracting 5 million tourists from the Asian country in 2021.

 

As travellers continue to save for overseas trips during the ongoing pandemic, TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn anticipates Chinese tourism will see a surge, with Chinese tourists will be eager to explore international destinations.

 

The agency’s target of 5 million visitors from China represents 50% of the 2019 figure, which recorded approximately 10 million arrivals. Given China’s vast population of over 1.4 billion, this goal appears achievable. In fact, from January to May, more than 1.1 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand.

 

To further support inbound Chinese tourism, TAT has initiated discussions with the Consular Affairs Department to facilitate visa applications and document verification for Chinese travellers. In an innovative move aimed at boosting domestic tourism, TAT also plans to introduce “superstition” tourism as part of its offerings – a concept designed to pique the interest of short-haul tourists, including Chinese visitors. 

 

by Alex Morgan

Photo Courtesy of John Chu, Flickr

 

Full story: https://thethaiger.com/news/business/tat-aims-for-5-million-chinese-tourists-despite-real-estate-woes

 

-- © Copyright Thaiger 2023-06-20

 

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[StayinThailand2much]

Go for it, TAT! I follow your example, and expect to win 5 million in the lottery this year...

[Hanaguma]

Hmmm, so 1.1 million arrived in 5 months. Those 5 months also include the highest season of the year. So of COURSE there will be nearly 4 million more tourists in the remaining slow 7 months.  

These guys are getting a bit high on their own supply.  

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn anticipates Chinese tourism will see a surge, with Chinese tourists will be eager to explore international destinations.

More daily drivel.

[peter zwart]

TAT = Theoretical Algorithmic Tinkerer

[trevoromgh]

After the other announcement about joint military exercises these 5 million 'tourists' will have their camo uniforms ready at hand I'm sure  ????

[DPKANKAN]

Despite concerns surrounding China’s current real estate market downturn, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) remains optimistic about its prospects of attracting 5 million tourists from the "Asian country in 2021."

 

So forecasting results for 2 years ago!!!! 5555????????????????

[Guderian]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Despite concerns surrounding China’s current real estate market downturn

I wonder what this means for the condo developers in Thailand, since the Chinese were by far their biggest buyers, after the Thais. Will it mean the bottom dropping out of Chinese property purchases in Thailand, or will it redouble their interest as the Thai property market is much more stable than their home market?

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmmm…. O goody, more Chinese tourists?

[sambum]

"TAT aims for 5 million visitors despite real estate woes"

 

Another TAT dream in the making? Why do they consistently give ridiculously exorbitant estimates? (Don't answer that!) I think most people who have been here for a while are used to TAT's nonsensical claims! 

[Phil1964]

5million a year = 97,000 / week on average.

Thats the kindof Chinese takeaway figure I like! ie: Not too many of them wandering around, getting in the way, pointing their phones at everything for a quick tiktok upload.

Mind you I'll make exception for the Chinese girl, (Huanxi), on the bus in the other news article on here this morning. I could watch her moon rise and fall all day long! ????

 

[RichardColeman]

I imagine the owners of the Chinese companies building unbuilt condos for their last 3 years , where they have taken the clients money and built nothing, will be hoping they do not return in a hurry.

[Skeptic7]

TIT for TAT

[koolkarl]

During the 20 years I have been here, I haven't met a single Thai who even likes Chinese.

[Cake Monster]

Real Estate woes are only a small part of the current problems facing China

Only Yesterday Apple and Foxconn closed large plants

[traveller101]

Blahblahblah

[mrwebb8825]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

To further support inbound Chinese tourism, TAT has initiated discussions with the Consular Affairs Department to facilitate visa applications and document verification for Chinese travellers.

Didn't Thailand just arrest, charge and relocate to inactive posts some 100+ immigration officials for doing this w/o the brown envelopes reaching the top?

[Polaky]

Up at big buddha in Pratumnak the other day there were no less than 15 large busses filled to the brim with Chinese, they must really like each other, got me how they can all talk loudly at the same time and make any sense, nobody listens, they all just like to move their lips.

[dinsdale]

take something with a pinch of salt

idiom UK (US take something with a grain of salt)

 

Add to word list 

to not completely believe something that you are told, because you think it is unlikely to be true:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/take-with-a-pinch-of-salt

This is just another installment of the rubbish that people here are fed. It really is just so puerile. TV and other forms of media is the same. Feed you know what to the mushrooms and keep them in the dark. Keep doing it and people believe it. Tell a lie often enough and people will believe anything. Very old and effective way of social control.  

Edited June 20, 2023 by dinsdale

[kinyara]

5 hours ago, sambum said:

"TAT aims for 5 million visitors despite real estate woes"

 

Another TAT dream in the making? Why do they consistently give ridiculously exorbitant estimates? (Don't answer that!) I think most people who have been here for a while are used to TAT's nonsensical claims! 

They were spot on in 2022 for the overall tourist numbers, not that they'd get any credit on here from all the experts that said throughout 2022 that their 10 million target was pie in the sky. Strangely silent surprise surprise when they were the nonsensical fools not TAT. Looks like 2023 will also fall within their realistic range of 24-30 million, nothing ridiculous or exorbitant there.

[AhFarangJa]

Thankfully I do not see any in my neck of the woods, dirty, smelly, polluting, noisy, and that is just the buses.....

[sambum]

13 hours ago, kinyara said:

They were spot on in 2022 for the overall tourist numbers, not that they'd get any credit on here from all the experts that said throughout 2022 that their 10 million target was pie in the sky. Strangely silent surprise surprise when they were the nonsensical fools not TAT. Looks like 2023 will also fall within their realistic range of 24-30 million, nothing ridiculous or exorbitant there.

Maybe their figures in this post have been taken from the wrong out of date source, then:- 

 

"Despite concerns surrounding China’s current real estate market downturn, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) remains optimistic about its prospects of attracting 5 million tourists from the Asian country in 2021.

 

Hmm? 2021, I thought that was a bad year for tourism worldwide?

 

I have seen posts in the past (pre Covid) where TAT have been trumpeting their success about so called tourist numbers, and it has been blatantly obvious from the empty streets, hotels and bars that their figures were way off the mark. Their justification (from memory) was that people weren't staying in the tourist resorts, they were going "oop North" to see and stay in "the proper Thailand" to investigate its culture by "visiting temples and places of cultural heritage" ???? 

 

 

Edited June 21, 2023 by sambum

[newnative]

49 minutes ago, sambum said:

Maybe their figures in this post have been taken from the wrong out of date source, then:- 

 

"Despite concerns surrounding China’s current real estate market downturn, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) remains optimistic about its prospects of attracting 5 million tourists from the Asian country in 2021.

 

Hmm? 2021, I thought that was a bad year for tourism worldwide?

 

I have seen posts in the past (pre Covid) where TAT have been trumpeting their success about so called tourist numbers, and it has been blatantly obvious from the empty streets, hotels and bars that their figures were way off the mark. Their justification (from memory) was that people weren't staying in the tourist resorts, they were going "oop North" to see and stay in "the proper Thailand" to investigate its culture by "visiting temples and places of cultural heritage" ???? 

 

 

    Any actual data to support your claim that 'their figures were way off the mark' ?  And, no, a personal observation of an empty bar doesn't count.

 

[sambum]

12 hours ago, newnative said:

    Any actual data to support your claim that 'their figures were way off the mark' ?  And, no, a personal observation of an empty bar doesn't count.

 

"............it has been blatantly obvious from the empty streets, hotels and bars that their figures were way off the mark."

 

I don't need "data" - that's where the doubt creeps in!

I go by the above  - not "an empty bar", and the testament of quite a few bar owners, hoteliers etc who said that if there are so many tourists, where are they all,  because "they ain't here"!!!

 

"Lies, damned lies and statistics"  (Mark Twain)

 

 

[newnative]

6 minutes ago, sambum said:

"............it has been blatantly obvious from the empty streets, hotels and bars that their figures were way off the mark."

 

I don't need "data" - that's where the doubt creeps in!

I go by the above  - not "an empty bar", and the testament of quite a few bar owners, hoteliers etc who said that if there are so many tourists, where are they all,  because "they ain't here"!!!

 

"Lies, damned lies and statistics"  (Mark Twain)

 

 

   So, no actual data, just some observations from you and some others.  In 2019, 10.9 million of the 39 million international visitors to Thailand were Chinese.  The majority of them were independent travelers, going wherever they wanted all over Thailand.  There were also large numbers of Asians from other countries in 2019, as well.   Visitors from Asian countries were the majority of the international visitors in 2019.

     It's likely that many of these Asians were not in your favorite western bar or bars--so, you're possibly correct when you say that 'they ain't here"!!!'   You can't, however, make the leap that if 'they ain't here' they must not be anywhere else, either, and, hence, the data must be wrong because you're looking at an empty bar.  An empty bar is just that--an empty bar--and not an accurate gauge for a country's overall tourism.   Ditto for this or that person complaining about his tourist business being slow.   Certainly could be for his or her business but, again, that doesn't equate to anything more than that. 

      You may not like or agree with the data and that's certainly up to you but it seems accurate to me.  TAT recorded the dip in tourist numbers in 2014, the year of the coup.   In 2021, it posted less than 500,000 international visitors.  Talk about 'they ain't here!!!'.  Very true that year!  That must have been a very bitter pill for TAT to swallow but there the numbers are in black and white for all to see.

[sambum]

14 hours ago, newnative said:

   So, no actual data, just some observations from you and some others.  In 2019, 10.9 million of the 39 million international visitors to Thailand were Chinese.  The majority of them were independent travelers, going wherever they wanted all over Thailand.  There were also large numbers of Asians from other countries in 2019, as well.   Visitors from Asian countries were the majority of the international visitors in 2019.

     It's likely that many of these Asians were not in your favorite western bar or bars--so, you're possibly correct when you say that 'they ain't here"!!!'   You can't, however, make the leap that if 'they ain't here' they must not be anywhere else, either, and, hence, the data must be wrong because you're looking at an empty bar.  An empty bar is just that--an empty bar--and not an accurate gauge for a country's overall tourism.   Ditto for this or that person complaining about his tourist business being slow.   Certainly could be for his or her business but, again, that doesn't equate to anything more than that. 

      You may not like or agree with the data and that's certainly up to you but it seems accurate to me.  TAT recorded the dip in tourist numbers in 2014, the year of the coup.   In 2021, it posted less than 500,000 international visitors.  Talk about 'they ain't here!!!'.  Very true that year!  That must have been a very bitter pill for TAT to swallow but there the numbers are in black and white for all to see.

"You can't, however, make the leap that if 'they ain't here' they must not be anywhere else, either,...."

I didn't - TAT said that they were "elsewhere" as I stated earlier - "Ooop North"!

 

"An empty bar is just that--an empty bar.........." 

But taken in context, with all the other empty bars, the empty restaurants, the empty hotels, and empty streets, the message would appear to be that "things were quiet"! And let's face it, even the Chinese/Asians have to eat and stay somewhere? Oh, I forgot - you said they were all over Thailand - yes? (P.S. I am actually quite glad that the Chinese in particular were not swarming over my neck of the woods!),

I must admit to being a bit of a cynic as far as "data"  is concerned, especially from TAT, because I have seen too many U turns in their figures to class them as a reliable source - and before you ask - no, I do not have any examples to hand, because they went strangely quiet over the "Covid years", and we were talking about 2019 figures?

[StayinThailand2much]

Wonder if TAT employees follow international news, or watch YouTube. If they searched for something along the lines of 'Chinese economy', perhaps they would get an idea of how the same is falling apart... Do they really think that large numbers of unemployed, but indebted Chinese line up to come to Thailand?

Edited June 22, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[newnative]

1 hour ago, sambum said:

"You can't, however, make the leap that if 'they ain't here' they must not be anywhere else, either,...."

I didn't - TAT said that they were "elsewhere" as I stated earlier - "Ooop North"!

 

"An empty bar is just that--an empty bar.........." 

But taken in context, with all the other empty bars, the empty restaurants, the empty hotels, and empty streets, the message would appear to be that "things were quiet"! And let's face it, even the Chinese/Asians have to eat and stay somewhere? Oh, I forgot - you said they were all over Thailand - yes? (P.S. I am actually quite glad that the Chinese in particular were not swarming over my neck of the woods!),

I must admit to being a bit of a cynic as far as "data"  is concerned, especially from TAT, because I have seen too many U turns in their figures to class them as a reliable source - and before you ask - no, I do not have any examples to hand, because they went strangely quiet over the "Covid years", and we were talking about 2019 figures?

      Yes, we were talking about 2019 statistics, which you disputed in your original post.  Which led me to ask for any hard data you had to back up your statement that the statistics were incorrect.  Your answer: None.  Just observations and a 'memory' of what TAT might have said about travelers visiting the North, temples, etc.--which has nothing to do with the actual tourist numbers for 2019.           And, once again, observations of empty bars, restaurants, hotels, etc., in your 'neck of the woods'---wherever that might be and whether accurate or not--cannot be used as a gauge for Thailand's overall tourism in 2019.  In my 'neck of the woods', Pattaya, 2019 was a good year for tourists.   Does that mean that every single bar, restaurant, and hotel was also doing well that year?  No.  Demographics are ever-changing and that was certainly true for tourist demographics in 2019.  Supply and demand often takes awhile to kick in.  Meanwhile, some empty businesses can be observed--true any time, anywhere. 

     One thing to remember--there's a big difference between observations and predictions from this or that tourism official or business person, whether local or national, and actual, published official statistical data.   TAT has made several numbers predictions for 2023 as more data is received as the year goes on, but they are just predictions, subject to change.  I suppose these would be your 'U turns', when TAT 'U turns' and revises its predictions--rather meaningless in the long run.   The official numbers when the year is over are far more important.  

[sambum]

4 hours ago, newnative said:

      Yes, we were talking about 2019 statistics, which you disputed in your original post.  Which led me to ask for any hard data you had to back up your statement that the statistics were incorrect.  Your answer: None.  Just observations and a 'memory' of what TAT might have said about travelers visiting the North, temples, etc.--which has nothing to do with the actual tourist numbers for 2019.           And, once again, observations of empty bars, restaurants, hotels, etc., in your 'neck of the woods'---wherever that might be and whether accurate or not--cannot be used as a gauge for Thailand's overall tourism in 2019.  In my 'neck of the woods', Pattaya, 2019 was a good year for tourists.   Does that mean that every single bar, restaurant, and hotel was also doing well that year?  No.  Demographics are ever-changing and that was certainly true for tourist demographics in 2019.  Supply and demand often takes awhile to kick in.  Meanwhile, some empty businesses can be observed--true any time, anywhere. 

     One thing to remember--there's a big difference between observations and predictions from this or that tourism official or business person, whether local or national, and actual, published official statistical data.   TAT has made several numbers predictions for 2023 as more data is received as the year goes on, but they are just predictions, subject to change.  I suppose these would be your 'U turns', when TAT 'U turns' and revises its predictions--rather meaningless in the long run.   The official numbers when the year is over are far more important.  

Only one comment to make about your post above, because you seem to accept all the official data rather than the facts that fly in your face when you walk down the street which is this:-

 

"And, once again, observations of empty bars, restaurants, hotels, etc., in your 'neck of the woods'---wherever that might be and whether accurate or not .........." implies that I am a liar and consequently I will have no further discussion with you and you are going on my "Ignored" list.

Edited June 22, 2023 by sambum

[newnative]

54 minutes ago, sambum said:

Only one comment to make about your post above, because you seem to accept all the official data rather than the facts that fly in your face when you walk down the street which is this:-

 

"And, once again, observations of empty bars, restaurants, hotels, etc., in your 'neck of the woods'---wherever that might be and whether accurate or not .........." implies that I am a liar and consequently I will have no further discussion with you and you are going on my "Ignored" list.

     Given the choice between official data and 'facts flying in my face as I walk down the street', I'll choose official data, because I know what I am observing as I walk down the street is just a snapshot of a particular point in time, at a particular place; and an hour or a day later the snapshot might look entirely different, and certainly could in different areas.   

    Questioning something as being accurate or inaccurate doesn't imply lying, rather it questions whether information is actually correct or not.   It's only human nature that observations will color our thinking.   If someone had asked me sometime ago if I thought there were more Chinese visitors to Thailand in 2019 in tour groups rather than independent travelers, I would have said yes, more in tour groups.  That was based on my observations of seeing a lot of tour buses and a lot of Chinese walking around in tour groups following a guide with a flag on a stick.  In reality, as I have since found out, there were more independent Chinese travelers in 2019--they just weren't 'flying in my face' and not as visible.  I wasn't lying with my answer, I was just inaccurate in my observations, which lead to an incorrect answer.