The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has predicted that almost a million foreign tourists will visit the kingdom during the Chinese New Year festival, which runs from February 8th to 16th, generating an estimated 28 billion baht in revenues.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said that the number of foreign arrivals, especially from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, is expected to increase by 29% compared to last year.
Arrivals from China during this year’s festival are forecast to increase threefold, to about 150,000, while arrivals from Taiwan and Hong Kong are expected to increase by 137%.
Moreover, about two million Thais of Chinese descent are expected to travel to celebrate the Chinese New Year, an increase of about 10% over last year. They are also expected to spend as much as 6 billion baht during the festival, said Thapanee.
Meanwhile, Thanet Tantipiriyakij, president of the Tourism Industry Council in Phuket, said that most four and five star beachfront hotels on the resort island are now 90% booked, adding that most guests are from Eastern Europe, while arrivals from China are still slow, but are expected to increase by about 5% during Chinese New Year festival.
He noted that bookings are currently being made only a week before actual arrival.
