Chinese tourists in Thailand surged to a record 1.2 million in February

Visitors from China surged to a record 1.2 million in February, swelled by the Lunar New Year holiday period. Thailand expects 38 million tourists overall this year, more than 10 million from China.

China’s outbound travel market raked up 130 million trips in 2017, a 7 per cent increase on 122 million trips recorded in 2016. With more flight connections, better exchange rates and fewer visa restrictions, destinations such as Morocco, Turkey and Tunisia are seeing a huge growth in visitors from China.

Thailand is spending billions to upgrade its infrastructure, open up new islands and cities to travellers, and tone down its image of cheap shopping, hotels and sex that underpinned the industry for half a century.