Thailand becomes China's second-biggest tourist destination

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

BEIJING, Nov. 10-- The number of Chinese visitors to Thailand in the first nine months of 2013 more than doubled year on year, making it the second-biggest tourist destination country for Chinese, latest data has showed.

Over 3.24 million journeys were made from China to Thailand, up 107.7 percent year on year, Xinhua learned on Sunday.

In Jan.-March, a period containing China's Spring Festival holiday, the number of Chinese visitors to Thailand was 93 percent more than in the same period of 2012. Experts predicted the figure will surpass four million by the end of this year.

"If the two countries can simplify visa procedures in the near future, we will see another surge in tourism," said Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration.

Chinese tourists are choosing Thailand because of its low prices, proximity to China, easy visa procedure and more airline choices, added Guo Dongjie, vice president of Ctrip, China's biggest online tour operator.

We Recommend

• Luxury-cars parade held in Dubai
• Special forces take tough training sessions
• Fire guts 22-storey Nigeria commercial building in Lagos
• A girl takes care of paralyzed father for 10 years
  
• A record of Beijing air quality change
• In pictures: explosions occur in Taiyuan
• Hello! Horror Halloween Celebration!
• The catwalk to the world of fashion
  
• Cruise trip to Taiwan