Chinese tourists, wary of Thailand, plan other stops for Lunar New Year travel

Worried for their safety, China’s outbound tourists have pulled back on Thailand travel plans, opting for Japan and Malaysia as alternatives

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Published: 3:00pm, 28 Jan 2025Updated: 4:56pm, 28 Jan 2025

Lunar New Year, arguably China’s biggest annual holiday, can be seen as a barometer for the country’s economy. As more than a billion people travel, shop, eat and give gifts to family and friends, their preferences and habits paint a picture of the nation’s consumption over a few festive weeks. This is the fifth story in a nine-part series.

After a high-profile incident has left Chinese travellers fearful of their safety while visiting Thailand, interest in the country as a vacation destination has fallen ahead of the annual Lunar New Year holiday according to travel analytics, with Japan and Malaysia appearing to fill some of the vacuum.

The number of bookings for Thailand by travellers in China – one of the world’s biggest pools of outbound tourists – declined by 15.6 per cent for the period from January 13 to 20 compared to the previous week, per travel marketing and technology firm China Trading Desk.

Japan and Malaysia have picked up bookings especially fast this year, leading other popular choices, data from the firm shows. Bookings for Japan through January 20 had grown by 86 per cent over the same period of 2024, with Malaysia beating last year’s figures by 79.2 per cent.

The kidnapping of actor Wang Xing by a Thai human trafficking ring soured the country to Chinese travellers after news of the affair spread quickly on social media. The outcry was enough to prompt the Thai prime minister to post a video enhanced by artificial intelligence software promising to ensure tourists’ safety.

Thailand has made a further appeal to those anxious about a potential trip with the launch of its Tourist Police app. The mobile tool has Chinese language support, real-time location sharing and emergency reporting features, a spokeswoman for the travel analytics firm ForwardKeys said.

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