According to Mafengwo’s data, Thailand remains one of the most popular overseas destinations for Chinese tourists during the upcoming May Day holiday, with tourism popularity increasing by 150% in the past week. The Thai embassy in China has also addressed concerns regarding the safety of Chinese tourists, assuring that measures are being taken to ensure their safety. However, some tourists have noted a significant increase in prices for transportation and accommodation in Thailand following a three-year absence. The rise in outbound travel prices is attributed to several factors, including decreased flight supply, scarcity of ground resources in some overseas destinations, and increased per capita cost for small groups. Despite this, travel agencies have reported no significant order cancellations for bookings related to Thailand.
Not safe to go?The popularity of outbound travel to Thailand on May Day is still at the forefront, and the popularity has risen by 150%: Chinese people are still actively traveling
Responding to the recent topic of “Thailand is too expensive to afford”, a person from Ctrip said that since the “Class B and B Regulations”, the price of outbound travel has actually been gradually declining.
In fact, as of now, Thailand is still one of the most popular destination countries for domestic outbound travel. Mafengwo big data shows that as of March 23, Thailand is the overseas destination with the highest order volume during the “May Day” holiday, and the popularity of tourism has increased by 150% in the past week.
On March 23, the Thai embassy in China issued a document to clarify the content and comments regarding unsafe tourism. The Thai embassy in China stated that Thailand attaches great importance to the quality and safety of Chinese tourists and their good impression of Thailand, and fully understands tourists’ concerns regarding safety issues. Relevant agencies in Thailand attach great importance to this issue, and will also take corresponding measures to fully protect it. And ensure the safety of tourists.
After a three-year absence, when a large number of Chinese people flooded into Southeast Asia once more, they lamented that “New Malaysia and Thailand are not so fun anymore” and “Thailand is no longer the Thailand it was three years ago.” “This year, I spent more than three times the amount of money I used to go to Thailand, and I may reduce the number of trips in the future.” Wang Xin, a Chinese tourist, said. Due to the increase in flight supply, air ticket prices in Southeast Asia have dropped slightly, but they are still at a high level compared to before 2020.
“I just landed in Thailand, and I spent almost 1,000 yuan. Is the price in Thailand so expensive?” Chinese tourist Li Meng said that following landing at the Thai airport, he spent 2,200 baht for visa fees, 700 baht for phone cards, 500 baht for taxis, and pineapple fried rice. And Tom Yum Kung 600 baht, a total of 4,000 baht (equivalent to regarding 800 yuan). Li Meng said that the cost of taking a taxi in Thailand has risen a lot now, and you can stop by the roadside. Whether it is a motorcycle, a tuk-tuk or a taxi, the starting price is 200 baht (regarding 40 yuan). On the first day, you go to the hotel from the airport It cost 500 baht. As the “big head” of tourism consumption, the cost of accommodation in Thailand has also risen considerably.
Senior observers in the tourism industry said that there are three main reasons for the rise in the price of outbound travel: first, due to the sharp reduction in flights in recent years, the overall demand for air tickets on international routes exceeds the supply, and even tour groups may not be able to get group ticket prices; Second, the scarcity of ground resources in some overseas destinations has led to rising costs; third, most of the tour groups departing following the restart of outbound group tours are exquisite small groups of less than 20 people, and the per capita cost is also increasing.
On the Ctrip platform, the average one-way price of an outbound air ticket in March was 2,124 yuan, a decrease of 51.5% compared with the same period last year. The price is 1632 yuan.
Qunar data also shows that from March 1st to 20th, 2023, the number of air ticket bookings for international flights (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) increased by 1.4 times compared with the same period in January 2023, and the average price paid for air tickets decreased by 7% month-on-month. The top 5 popular destinations are Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Macau.
On March 24, a number of travel agencies told The Paper that there were basically no cancellations of orders related to Thailand destinations. A person from a travel agency told The Paper: “The impact on group travel has not been reflected, and the group will not go to strange places.” At the same time, many online travel platforms also said that they have not received relevant feedback for the time being. An insider on an online travel platform told The Paper: “The entire complaint regarding unsubscriptions caused by Thailand is currently at a single-digit level for hotels and holiday travel products.”
In conclusion, despite concerns over the rising cost of travel to Thailand, Chinese tourists are still showing active interest in visiting the country during the upcoming May Day holiday, with a 150% increase in popularity seen in the past week. While some challenges such as high airfare and accommodation costs persist, the Thai embassy in China has reassured Chinese tourists of their commitment to ensuring their safety and well-being. Despite reports of cancellations, travel agencies and online platforms have reported few unsubscribes related to Thailand tours. Moreover, with the easing of travel restrictions and increased flight supply, there is hope that overall costs may reduce in the coming months. So, while it remains important to weigh the costs, it is definitely not time to cancel those Thailand plans just yet.
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