Thailand is reeling from a huge drop in Chinese tourists, with industry leaders desperate to reverse the worrying trend. The southeast Asian country is known the world over for its tropical beaches, magnificent royal palaces, ancient ruins and ornate Khmer temples.
Its reputation as a holiday paradise has helped the tourism industry thrive, raking in a tidy £39billion in income last year alone. However, recent events have dented confidence in Thailand and raised serious questions about safety in the country.
In January, Chinese actor Wang Xing was sensationally kidnapped at the Thai border, prompting a massive manhunt for the unfortunate thespian.
The 22-year-old had been communicating on WeChat with people he believed were Chinese employees of a major Thai entertainment firm.
One of them greeted him at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport and led him through security, before telling him that the plan – to stay at a nearby hotel – had changed.
Instead, they drove 500km to Mae Sot in western Thailand, where he disappeared into thin air.
He was eventually located in Myanmar, where his abductors were forcing him to work in a scam centre.
His disappearance became a cause célèbre in the Chinese media, which closely followed events in Thailand.
The bad publicity generated by the kidnapping appears to have had a direct impact on the number of Chinese tourists visiting the country.
Arrivals from China were down 7% in February to 3.12 million, almost 9% in March to 2.72 million and another 7.6% in April to 2.72 million.
That’s despite the Asia-Pacific reporting a regional 13% increase in international visitors through the same period.
Kevin Clayton, Chief Brand Officer, Thailand for Galaxy Entertainment Group, blamed the abduction for the decline in Chinese tourists.
“Affordability and accessibility will always be key considerations for many travellers before making a decision on a vacation, but safety will always rank above all else,” he explained.
“It’s therefore much easier to understand why Chinese are deciding against Thailand and preferring other more favourable destinations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore.”