About 35,000 Koreans Entered in 26 Days
Last Year, Top Tourist Arrivals in Thailand: China, Malaysia, India, Korea
Among foreign tourists visiting Chiang Mai, a popular tourist city in Thailand and a representative winter resort, Koreans were found to be the most numerous.
On the 27th, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced that among arrivals at Chiang Mai International Airport from January 1 to 26 this year, Koreans numbered 34,954, surpassing Chinese tourists (34,894) to become the largest group, according to a report by the local media Bangkok Post on the 28th.
TAT expects that the number of Korean tourists visiting Chiang Mai will continue to surpass that of Chinese tourists due to factors such as increased direct flights and the cool winter weather. Patsarin Swetarat, head of the TAT Chiang Mai office, analyzed, "Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the recovery of Chinese tourists has been sluggish, and recent safety concerns raised by the human trafficking incident involving a Chinese actor have also affected the number of individual Chinese tourists." He added, "The Chiang Mai tourism industry has strengthened its efforts to target potential markets such as Korea to reduce dependence on China."
Chiang Mai is Thailand's second-largest city, located about 700 km north of the capital, Bangkok. Due to its relatively cool weather and low cost of living, many Koreans visit here for "one-month living" experiences. Tourism is a significant industry in Thailand, with foreign tourist spending accounting for about 12% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The entire tourism sector accounts for about 20% of GDP and employment.
Meanwhile, last year, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand exceeded 35 million. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand announced that from January 1 to December 29 last year, over 35.32 million people visited Thailand, spending 1.66 trillion baht (approximately 70.73 trillion KRW). By nationality, Chinese tourists were the most numerous at 6.7 million, followed by Malaysians (4.93 million) and Indians (2.12 million). Koreans ranked fourth with about 1.86 million visitors. The Thai government expects about 39 million arrivals this year, approaching the pre-COVID-19 level of 40 million.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand plans to attract Korean tourists this year with a new campaign, "Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports," along with "5 Must-Do Things in Thailand." Phatarinong Na, Deputy Director of the TAT Chiang Mai office, said, "This year, to achieve the goal of attracting 2 million Korean tourists, we will focus not only on tourism promotion but also on allowing Koreans to experience the 'Thainess' as a foundation."
The five must-do things in Thailand introduced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand are: ▲ tasting the essence of authentic Thai cuisine ▲ experiencing Muay Thai martial arts, which combines strength and artistry ▲ purchasing unique Thai products crafted with Thai craftsmanship ▲ visiting new attractive travel destinations ▲ participating in Thai cultural performances, festivals, and traditional ceremonies.
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