Hotels and airlines are experiencing widespread cancellations from Chinese tour groups ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday, with independent tourist bookings also slowing due to safety concerns in Thailand.
Eason Chan, a singer and actor from Hong Kong, cancelled a planned concert in Thailand last week, citing safety concerns for Chinese fans visiting the country. Additionally, Hong Kong’s Security Bureau dispatched a task force to Thailand to investigate incidents involving their citizens being enticed into job scams in Southeast Asia.
Natthriya Thaweevong, Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports, stated that Hong Kong security officials confirmed that tourists from Hong Kong have not been deceived or abducted in Thailand. The individuals affected were nationals hired to transport goods to South Asia, who were subsequently lured into entering Myanmar via Thailand.
Natthriya mentioned that Hong Kong officials urged their citizens to be cautious if approached with high-paying job offers. She also noted that Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports assured Hong Kong that the country is enhancing safety and security measures for tourists, with the tourist police instructed to provide 24-hour assistance.
Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, Chairman of Marketing at the Thai Hotels Association (THA), reported that hotels in key destinations, particularly in Bangkok, are receiving cancellations from Chinese tour groups. This impact is more evident among tour groups, as they can still cancel hotel and air ticket bookings, unlike independent tourists whose bookings are nonrefundable.
Prachoom stated that the THA is monitoring the situation at hotels nationwide and will have a clearer forecast of the impact tomorrow, as businesses are just returning from the weekend. She emphasised that hotel operators are urging the government to restore confidence in safety to prevent a potential short-term decline.
Chinese tourism
Before the human trafficking case involving Chinese actor Wang Xing, Thai hotels experienced strong bookings during the Chinese New Year holiday, with increased occupancy rates reported across all regions compared to the previous year. Bangkok hotels recorded a 70 to 80% occupancy rate, while resorts like Phuket reported 80 to 90%.
Nuntaporn Komonsittivate, Head of Commercial at Thai Lion Air, noted a significant number of cancellations from Chinese tour groups. Tour operators who had planned charter flights to Phuket for the Lunar New Year have cancelled due to weak guest demand, though bookings from individual travellers remain unchanged due to their flexibility.
To accurately assess the impact across all segments, Nuntaporn stated that the airline would need to wait until the end of the week. The visa-free policy between Thailand and China allows travellers to make decisions 1 to 2 weeks before the holiday, which this year falls in the final week of January, reported Bangkok Post.
Meanwhile, a source from Thai AirAsia reported a continued slowing of new bookings from Chinese customers, indicating concern over trips to Thailand.
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