泰国旅游的趋势分析

钟碧云

摘 要：旅游业是泰国的经济支柱，而中国旅游市场在泰国旅游业中占有重要地位。泰国与中国之间建立旅游关系已经有二十多年的历史了。自泰中建交以来，大量中国游客都把泰国作为首选的旅游目的地。中国游客喜欢游泰国主要因为赴泰国旅游物超所值，具有质量保障，能带来舒适体验，且在文化上有认同感。未来在赴泰安全问题进一步被重视的基础上，“零自费”行程将会变成中国赴泰旅游的主流，免签后泰国或成新的境外热门购物地。

关键词：泰国；旅游；趋势；中国游客

中图分类号：F590 文献标志码：A 文章编号：1673-291X（2014）34-0235-05

一、Thailand tourism trend

Thailand was one of the first players in Asia to capitalize on this then-new trend.Tourist numbers have grown from 336，000 foreign visitors and 54，000 GIs on R&R in 1967 to over 26 million international guests visiting Thailand in 2013.In 2013，Thailand was the 10th most visited country in the？World Tourism rankings？with 26.5 million visitors.Around 55% of Thailands tourists are return visitors.The peak period is during the Christmas and New Year holidays when Western tourists flee cold conditions at home.

Tourism is the main service sector in Thailand.It generated about 6.5% of national income（GDP） in 2013.Although Thailand has faced such severe and varied problems as the SARS epidemic and tsunami in 2004，and political instability in 2008—2009 that has led to recession in some periods，However，prolonged political unrest affected growth in the so-called sensitive markets in December；China（+1.69%），Taiwan（+0.31%） and Japan （+0.20%），while Hong Kong declined 26.76%.But the trend of tourist arrivals has not cease to climb.Thailand has welcomed a total of 26，735，583 visitor arrivals in 2013，exceeding the years original target of 26.1 million and representing a 19.6 per cent increase over 22，353，903 international tourists in 2012，with total revenue estimated at THB 1.167 trillion（More than 2012 +18.65%）.This achievement brings much joy to Thailand and the countrys travel and tourism industry as a whole.These statistics are invaluable as evidence that despite the challenging factors including the ongoing political demonstrations in Bangkok，Thailand remains a popular and welcoming tourist destination.According to data tabulated by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports，in 2013，six Asia-Pacific and one European country contributed more than one million visitor arrivals each.China topped the chart at 4.7 million arrivals （a 68.83 per cent jump），followed by Malaysia at 2.99 million tourists （up 17.29 per cent），Russia at 1.73 million arrivals（a 31.93 per cent growth），Japan at 1.53 million tourists（an 11.96 per cent increase），South Korea at 1.29 million arrivals（up 11.48 per cent），Lao PDR at 1.1 million（up 13.33 per cent） and India at 1.04 million visitors（a 3.61 increase）.By region，East Asia remains the largest contributor at 16.09 million arrivals（up 28.47 per cent），representing a 60.18 per cent share of the overall visitor markets to Thailand.Europe is the second largest market by region at 6.3 million visitors（an 11.62 per cent increase），followed by South Asia at 1.34 million arrivals（a 4.63 per cent growth） and the Americas at 1.17 million arrivals（up 8.05 per cent）.In 2014，TAT expects to welcome 28.01 million international tourist arrivals through various tourism promotional activities under the “Amazing Thailand：It Begins with the People” campaign.endprint

二、2013—2014 Thai political crises

At the commencement of 2014，the Thai tourist industry suffered due to the political turmoil that erupted in October 2013.A shutdown of Bangkoks governmental offices on 13 January 2014 by anti-government protesters，prompted some tourists to avoid the Thai capital.TAT forecasted that arrival numbers might drop by around 5% in the first quarter of 2014，with the total number of arrivals down by 260，000 from the original projection of 29.86 million.Tourism revenue is also expected to drop by THB0.01 trillion from THB1.44 trillion.International tourist arrivals for June 2014，the latest month available，show that the number of arriving tourists declined 24.4% when compared with the same month in 2013.But the problem was resolved now.

三、Opportunities and Challenges for Thailand Tourism and Hospitality Industry

Clearly，there are great opportunities for Thailand tourism and hospitality firms to grow internationally in all sectors，including travel agency，tour operator，hotel，spa and airlines.Thailands economic development in the coming year relies on the improvement of infrastructure to meet international standards in supporting the creation of the ASEAN regional transportation network.Moreover，a key resource for the development is always human resources.Human resources must be ready to work and cooperate with international partners to build and develop business opportunities，The communication skills of human resources at all levels are crucial for long-term tourism and hospitality business growth.In this area，companies should invest and emphasize on learning，training and capacity building to ensure high quality service for all the visitors.

四、The importance of Chinese tourist market for Thailand tourism development

The number of Chinese outbound visitors is increasing in affluence under Chinas economy has been developing strongly and rapidly.Recently，China outbound tourism is growth fastest.China has become the 12th biggest travel worldwide and Asias biggest outbound tourism market with the greatest potential influence of the most extensive.In Consumer spending point，according to a survey of AC Nielsen and Tax Free World Association （TFWA） showed that Chinese tourists total tourism spending in a single cost is only lower than Japanese tourist and ranking the second in the world.Recently，China has been Thailands largest tourist source countries，Chinese tourists go to Thailand increased rapidly year by year，especially in the past two years.The total Chinese tourist arrivals in Thailand were 4，705，173 arrivals in 2013 （Table 1），an increase from 2012 about 68.83% and the forecast of real GDP growth 7.90%.endprint

China is the worlds fastest growing tourism market，has become the worlds second tourist exporter and also became to the big market source in Thailand.Thailand is one of popular tourist destinations in China outbound travel choice cause Thailand is particularly attractive for the ease of obtaining an independent tourist visa，low cost，proximity and mix of urban shopping and natural beauty.Siriporn and Youchen（2009） demonstrated that since 1987，China government give Thailand became the first country of Chinese tourist destination.Thailand is a well known international travel destination due to its long history，with rich culture，beautiful natural resources，and also because of the hospitality of Thai people （Meng，Tepanon，& Uysal，2006），so Thailand always attract a large number of Chinese tourists.Moreover，the opening of relations between Thailand and China continue to close and direct routes，as well as reasonable prices and high quality services，making Chinese tourist traveled to Thailand increase and it is greatly promoted Thailand industry.

五、Chinese tourist travel to Thailand trend

The history of Chinese tourism can be back to 1978，the “Chinas beginning year of the open and reform period” which introduced by Deng Xiao-Ping.The tourism industry was very small and the component was concerning international tourists market，because they desired to gain foreign exchange and improve international communication.Tourism providers and the normal people，neither of them had idea about outbound tourism in the early period.From 1994 to 2004，the percentage of Chinese people travelling abroad related to their population was small.At recent 10 years，this number of Chinese tourists traveling abroad had increased surprisingly with the rapidly developing economy （Keating & Kriz，2008；Lau，2006）.

Thailand Becomes Chinas Second Largest Outbound Tourism Destination.In 2011，1.7 million Chinese tourists traveled to Thailand and this figure was expected to rise to 2 million in 2012.The Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association declared in February 2013 that Chinese tourists are the main supplier of Thailands tourism industry and 3.3 million Chinese tourists are expected in 2013.The association has also calculated that the average Chinese tourist remains in the country for one week and spends THB 30，000-40，000 per person，per trip.According to Thailands Tourism Authority，the number of Chinese tourists rose by 93% in the first quarter of 2013，an increase that was attributed to the popularity of the Chinese movie “Lost in Thailand” that was filmed in the northern province of Chiang Mai.endprint

The tourist from China still show a strong interest in visiting Thailand，despite political tensions in Bangkok，with the number of visa applications at the Thai Consular Office in Shanghai remaining high at 7，000-8，000 applications a day，according to a survey conducted by the Tourism Authority of Thailands （TAT） Shanghai Office.Thai economy and the imposition of martial law in May after the coup hit the industry hard.Winning back the Chinese visitors is imperative-spending by mainland tourists jumped 80 percent to $6 billion in 2013 from 2012.China remains Thailands number one tourist market，with a total of 4.7 million arrivals in 2013，68.83% jump over 2012，the total tourism receipts are THB 188，912.67 million.Surveys show that independent Chinese tourist and repeat visitors，who account for 30% of the total number of Chinese tourists coming to Thailand，have confirmed that their trips to destinations in the kingdom including to Bangkok will go ahead as planned.Meanwhile，some group tourists travelling with charter flights have changed their itineraries to visit destinations outside Bangkok.The top alternative destinations include Phuket，Phang-nga，Krabi in the South，and Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in the North.And the factors promote Thailand tourism and attract Chinese tourist to come to Thailand trends are following：

1.The zero-dollar tour

The zero-dollar tour is very popular and can attract a lot of Chinese tourist to come to travel in Thailand.The zero-dollar tour is a package tour that is a priced below the operators real costs，offer very cheap package deals to Thailand.In any case，zero-dollar tour promotions would continue to exist in China where market was highly competitive and dominated by budget packages.Such tours have appeared to be cheap but could turn out to be more expensive，since the Chinese tourist would be compelled to pay highly over charged pieces for jewelry，leather good and other produces，or charged for their lunches or dinners in restaurants in Thailand.The Chinese victims of the zero-dollar tour rackets were reportedly compelled to buy highly-overcharged items and given very low-quality service and accommodation during their stay in Thailand in exchange for cheap tour packages offered by their tour agents.For troubleshooting，Thailand and China will join hands to curb fraudulent practices by tour operators that could victimize unsuspecting Chinese tourist to Thailand.Chinas new policy for regulating outbound zero-dollar tours will benefit the Thailand tourism industry long term，as it will help to screen tourist quality.endprint

2.Waiving visas

Lower costs and more convenience will encourage more Chinese tourists and investors to visit Thailand.Waiving visas is inevitable because the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand is really big.Nowadays the Chinese tourist enjoys spontaneous and independent trips and a visa exemption will give them another excuse to do this Waiving visas trips are expected to have a big impact on travel patterns.More and more Chinese people are choosing to travel independently rather than join package tours.Waiving visas travel would allow anyone to simply pack a bag and come to Thailand.A rule that waives visa fees for Chinese and Taiwanese tourists is now effective for three months ending 8 November 2014，to approve a visa fee exemption for holders of Chinese and Chinese Taipei（Taiwan） passports when visiting Thailand for the purpose of tourism for three months，it saves Chinese and Taiwanese tourists THB 1，000.During the three-month period，Suvarnabhumi Airport will be specially decorated with a Chinese-style pavilion and designated digital screens displaying a welcoming message in Chinese.To expedite the facilitation of the visa-on-arrival for Chinese tourists，there will be three （3） specially assigned “Chinese Lanes” and five （5） “Premium Lanes”.In addition，Chinese-speaking translators will be stationed at several areas throughout the Airport.The short-term waiver was approved last week by Thailands ruling NCPO as part of a package of measures to revive Thai tourism.The waiver has passed all the stages of regulatory approval through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior and has been published in the Royal Gazette.

3.Safety

Thailand remains a safe tourist destination，offering a wide variety of tourist attractions，ranging from unique culture，abundant natural beauty and remarkable variety of activities，including soft-adventure，spa，shopping and medical tourism.Thailand is a safe nation in which to travel.Physical attacks and other crimes against“the person”are far less likely than in many other “developed”nations.Thailand is very beautiful and not far from China，so Chinese tourist love to travel to Thailand，but because political crisis in Thailand make the tourist disbelieve and worry about the safety.Therefore，Thailand has to attention to the safety of the tourist.And develop safety system for the tourist.

4.Shopping hub

Chinese tourists love shopping，a well-known fact of the different countries all over the world.The Thai Shopping Centers Association（TSCA） has announced a new policy aimed at boosting Thailand to become the ASEAN regions No.1 in retail and tourism.Its goal is to turn Thailand into a regional shopping hub to become a world-class tourist destination and a shopping paradise.Big operators of shopping center who are TSCA members are planning to invest a huge amount in new mega projects from 2014 onwards.These planned mega projects are targeted to be globally recognized and will be located in different areas across Thailand，including renowned shopping streets，for the city to become a fully-fledged shopping destination for tourists.The TSCA is also targeting to offer name brands and luxury products at a more competitive price，with the Ministry of Finance announcing that it will cut Thailands import tariff on luxury goods，more specifically luxury watches，clothes，and cosmetics，from 30 percent to zero.endprint

六、Chinese tourist choose Thailand as tourism destinations reason

1.Value of money

Chinese tourists are choosing Thailand because of its low prices，proximity to China，easy visa procedure and more airline choices.The Thai inbound travel is one of the lowest cost travel destinations，even more than many some China domestic tourist destinations much lower cost.For example Air Asia airline from China to Bangkok Thailand，round-trip transportation is around RMB 2000.Let many people feel value for money both in travel and shopping，although many brand names in Thailand is not cheap，but a lot of mid-range brand in Thailand is much cheaper than China，for example some cosmetic and cloths，its often affecting Chinese tourist choose Thailand as travel destination.

2.Quality of food and drink

Thailand provided the quality of food and drink for the tourist in tourist attraction place.Thailand is tourist attractions basically fair trade，so its guarantee in both of quality and price.The tourists also dont worry about the counterfeit products，fake goods，over price and low quality food.

3.Comfortable

Thailand is relatively professional in tourism industry，hotels，restaurants and other facilities are very well，although have many tourists come to Thailand，but they are still be able to give a relax and comfortable experience.For example，even for“Lost in Thailand movie” bloom in Chiang Mai，but Chiang Mai still quiet leisurely and maintain north Thailand culture，this recognition is based on the local honest folk，the integration into local life，the tourist can found that not many ancient town in Chiang Mai comes out of the business atmosphere，this commendable temperament currently still exist，presumably also attract many Chinese tourists to visit Chiang Mai.

4.Cultural identification

Thailand is known as the “Land of Smiles”and for its tolerance and hospitality.The simple rule is that if you smile people will like you.A smile is an easy way to say thank you and can also be used to excuse your-self for small inconveniences.Thailand is predominantly Buddhist，so many of the customs in Thai culture are based on Buddhist values except in some parts of the south where many people are Muslim.Thailand is rich of cultural and traditional and its attracted a large number of Chinese tourists.Thailand，although small in size，small population，but the traditional culture can play to the extreme，life often become the eyes of outsiders without polish but beautiful works of art，this quality desirable.The reality is true，whether it is architectural forms，Thai Smile or Thai service motivate many people choose to travel to Thailand and also return again.endprint