Tourism Chinese Travel Giant Tuniu Pushes High-End Thailand Tours Amid Safety Concerns

[webfact]

Picture by ASEAN NOW

 

As Chinese tourist numbers tumble, Tuniu Corporation, a leading travel agency from China, is on a mission to rebuild confidence in Thailand tours. Prior to the pandemic, the agency attracted over 100,000 Chinese tourists annually to Thailand.

 

A mix of recent events – including actor Wang Xing's kidnapping and fewer flights – has caused numbers to drop to 20,000, raising alarm bells.

 

Key to Tuniu's strategy is attracting tourists with higher purchasing power. Jennifer Fan, Tuniu's product director, notes that prior to the pandemic, Thailand mainly attracted budget travellers.

 

Now, premium services, like Niu tours featuring five-star accommodations and high-quality experiences, are receiving rave reviews from Chinese tourists, despite packages averaging 25,000 Baht each.

 

Efforts to leverage online sales and innovative marketing, particularly using Douyin – a popular Chinese streaming platform – are underway. Through engaging live-stream sales, Tuniu aims to shift perceptions and assure tourists about Thailand’s safety and attractions.

 

The campaign successfully uses live locations like Phuket Town, allowing potential tourists to witness the local atmosphere firsthand and feel reassured.

 

The declining arrivals in Thailand are set against a backdrop of rising numbers to other Southeast Asian neighbours, as places like Vietnam showed a 156% growth in Chinese tourist numbers. Fan suggests that with adequate investments in tourism infrastructure and experiences – notably, high-quality 'golden guides' – Thailand's market can revive.

 

She emphasises the potential of targeting high spenders from first-tier Chinese cities and creating differentiated packages for various demographics.

 

The narrative comes with a warning against relying on casinos as a strategy, as the Chinese government discourages such activities, posing yet another challenge.

 

Meanwhile, Thailand's tourism authority recognises the importance of curating a mix of safety and premium services to lure affluent tourists, transforming this dip into an opportunity for a strategic pivot towards sustainable tourism growth.

 

Continuing partnerships and joint initiatives between Chinese travel operators and Thai tourism sectors remain instrumental in synchrony with the new market demands. Strengthening core tourism values could indeed turn the tide, making Thailand a top choice for quality-conscious travellers from China once again.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-11

 

 

 

 

[Emdog]

"...allowing potential tourists to witness the local atmosphere firsthand and feel reassured." Seems self contradictory.... 🙂 

[StayinThailand2much]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Now, premium services, like Niu tours featuring five-star accommodations and high-quality experiences, are receiving rave reviews from Chinese tourists, despite packages averaging 25,000 Baht each.

 

Premium services for 770 bucks?? Please don't tell me it is an 'all inclusive package'... 😆 

[John Drake]

"But the dogs won't eat it."

[hotchilli]

On 6/11/2025 at 7:08 AM, webfact said:

As Chinese tourist numbers tumble, Tuniu Corporation, a leading travel agency from China, is on a mission to rebuild confidence in Thailand tours.

What are they going to do, delete all news from Pattaya & Phuket

[newbee2022]

On 6/11/2025 at 7:08 AM, webfact said:

Picture by ASEAN NOW

 

As Chinese tourist numbers tumble, Tuniu Corporation, a leading travel agency from China, is on a mission to rebuild confidence in Thailand tours. Prior to the pandemic, the agency attracted over 100,000 Chinese tourists annually to Thailand.

 

A mix of recent events – including actor Wang Xing's kidnapping and fewer flights – has caused numbers to drop to 20,000, raising alarm bells.

 

Key to Tuniu's strategy is attracting tourists with higher purchasing power. Jennifer Fan, Tuniu's product director, notes that prior to the pandemic, Thailand mainly attracted budget travellers.

 

Now, premium services, like Niu tours featuring five-star accommodations and high-quality experiences, are receiving rave reviews from Chinese tourists, despite packages averaging 25,000 Baht each.

 

Efforts to leverage online sales and innovative marketing, particularly using Douyin – a popular Chinese streaming platform – are underway. Through engaging live-stream sales, Tuniu aims to shift perceptions and assure tourists about Thailand’s safety and attractions.

 

The campaign successfully uses live locations like Phuket Town, allowing potential tourists to witness the local atmosphere firsthand and feel reassured.

 

The declining arrivals in Thailand are set against a backdrop of rising numbers to other Southeast Asian neighbours, as places like Vietnam showed a 156% growth in Chinese tourist numbers. Fan suggests that with adequate investments in tourism infrastructure and experiences – notably, high-quality 'golden guides' – Thailand's market can revive.

 

She emphasises the potential of targeting high spenders from first-tier Chinese cities and creating differentiated packages for various demographics.

 

The narrative comes with a warning against relying on casinos as a strategy, as the Chinese government discourages such activities, posing yet another challenge.

 

Meanwhile, Thailand's tourism authority recognises the importance of curating a mix of safety and premium services to lure affluent tourists, transforming this dip into an opportunity for a strategic pivot towards sustainable tourism growth.

 

Continuing partnerships and joint initiatives between Chinese travel operators and Thai tourism sectors remain instrumental in synchrony with the new market demands. Strengthening core tourism values could indeed turn the tide, making Thailand a top choice for quality-conscious travellers from China once again.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-11

 

 

 

 

As long there is no safety improvement on the roads (eg helmets) tour buses will crash and pedestrians be killed on "zebras", apart from brawls and stealing or cheating.

[FlorC]

17 hours ago, John Drake said:

"But the dogs won't eat it."

It's for the Chinese , so it must warn that there will be no dogs on the menu or the all you can eat buffet.

[Luuk Chaai]

strategy is attracting tourists with higher purchasing power.

 

I gave the wife an example of the TAT thinking and high end

would you rather have  5 high end tourists that spend 10,000  or 10 normal tourists that only spend 7,000

[John Drake]

Why should the Chinese want to come here? The movie that got them started is what? 10 years ago? What is the lure for them? I do think safety is a false concern. The only unsafe place for a tourist is on the road. But why would Chinese rather see Thailand instead of Japan or Vietnam?