Trips to ASEAN countries heat up among Chinese travelers--China Economic Net

19 (Xinhua) -- A video showing the Vice President of Thailand greeting the first group of Chinese tourists arriving at Bangkok's international airport after China lifted travel restrictions went viral on the internet.In 2019, more than 10 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, and an immediate surge of Chinese tourists is expected this year, said Lai Jinpeng."We are always among those who feel the market in the very first place, and cross-border group tours are expected to go up in March, and by saying that, I mean massive growth," she added.Industry insiders believe that due to the impact of the pandemic, more cross-border travelers may schedule their group tours after arriving at the destination, along with more changes in shopping and other consumption in the recent period.

"Many companies have reached out to me to book business trips, and charter flight operators contacted me for tailored travel products," said Lai, adding many of his old friends would be back in the business as the tourism sector recovers." Zhang is among legions of eager travelers who have put their cross-border travel plans back on the agenda as China relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions, with Thailand being one of the top destinations.