Chinese tourists bring tons of money
Thailand should focus even more on Chinese and Russian tourists, because they bring in a lot of money.
Chinese tourists spent 102 billion dollars (approximately 75,5 billion euros) worldwide last year. The country therefore occupies first place when it comes to tourist spending abroad. This is reported by the World Tourism Organization (WTO).
The UN organization explains this record by the increase in the incomes of the Chinese and the relaxation of the conditions for travel. The number of Chinese tourists who went abroad rose from 10 million in 2000 to 83 million in 2012. Since 2000, international spending by those travelers has increased by almost a factor of eight. With that $ 102 billion, the Chinese spent 40 percent more than in 2011.
Germans and Americans are also interesting for tourism income, both accounting for approximately 62 billion euros. This is followed by Italians, Japanese, French and British.
Russians and Brazilians are also spending more and more during their holidays abroad. Russian tourists spent 32 percent more in one year, bringing their total to 31 billion euros. Brazil is moving up from 29th to twelfth place with 16,2 billion euros spent. For the first time, the record 1 billion international tourists was exceeded, despite the poor economic outlook.
I was surprised to read the editorial about tourism by Russians and Chinese in particular. The figures mentioned may be correct on a world basis. But because the editors of Thailand blog link the general piece to Thailand and state that one should focus more on these groups, the editors have missed the mark.
Finally, after years of being pointed out by Thai restaurants, hotels and travel organizations, the Thai government has recently spoken out about the need to focus on the better quality tourists, which are NOT the Russians and the Chinese. Europeans, Americans, Indians, Taiwanese and Koreans. The TAT has been instructed to focus intensively on tourists other than the named Russians and Chinese.
The reason is very simple, because those large groups do not bring a lot of money with them at all. Poverty is especially prevalent among the Chinese. For the busloads of Chinese people, everything has already been booked and paid for in China to Chinese travel organizations that purchase huge numbers of hotel rooms on an annual basis at absurdly low prices. This also applies to airplane seats, because people only fly with Chinese airlines. Not with Thai Airways.
The common complaint is that the Chinese hardly buy, use or consume anything in Thailand. Hotels complain bitterly that they have to accommodate hordes at the lowest rates, but that they do not use the other hotel services that are supposed to make up for the lack of income. Immediately after checking in, the entire tour group runs to the nearest 7-Eleven, buys some noodles, beer and iced tea and tops up the minibar in their room. People withdraw to their rooms and the hotel no longer sees those guests. The Chinese in particular also do not use the other hotel services, such as spa, massage, laundry, wifi and, related to the 'kitchen story', no room service at all. In addition, speaking in general, the Chinese is very loud, very intrusive, especially in the elevators and at the lobby, and is therefore a great nuisance to the other hotel guests. There are hotels that are already refusing groups of Chinese people, on the other hand, Chinese-Thai entrepreneurs specialize in these low budget group trips.
Some Russians do want to spend money in Thailand, but they do so in particular on the Russian companies that have sprung up like mushrooms in Thailand, including many businesses in Pattaya, increasingly on Koh Samui and certainly recently also on Phuket . The more affluent Russians who want more than beer and women want to travel around, but in other places in Thailand one sees (fortunately) few Russians, if only because of the language problems.
Because the editorial staff strives for and achieves a high quality of its blog, it is important that such non- and misinformation is NOT provided.
Happy Songkran and Happy Thai New Year,
Wim
Believe what you want to believe dear Wim. The Thai tourism minister, like all his predecessors, is only judged on numbers. The Thai government screens with those numbers every year. More tourists means more hotels, more roads, more buses, more staff and therefore more employment.
Thailand interested in high-end tourists? Do not let me laugh. Soon Thailand will also say that they are committed to sustainable tourism and that the environment is important. That would totally be a hoot.
Nice the intentions of the politicians. That's what they call 'window dressing' dear Wim.
Hi Peter,
Thank you for your response, but without wanting to turn it into a 'yes – no' story, I must again, somewhat surprised, respond to your editorial opinion.
In the first place, my response was about the editorial's statement that Thailand should focus more on the Chinese, because they would come to Thailand with "loads of money", which is simply not the case. On the contrary; the congestion and nuisance caused leads to a loss of income. Those are the facts… Done!
Secondly, you are now bringing up a completely different subject. You do not respond to my criticism of the editors by suddenly stating that “the Minister of Tourism is only judged by numbers”. That was (is) the case, but this new statement has nothing to do with whether or not "lots of money" would be dragged by the massive influx of Chinese to Thailand.
So I was talking about the unique and very current really changed view of tourism. Only two weeks ago was the final debate in parliament on this issue. That debate was prompted by a report from the Thai Hotel association handed over to the government, which dealt with the enormous nuisance experienced by some huge tourist groups, who receive virtually no compensation in return and even drive away the better tourists.
Parallel to this issue were the abuses that were observed in many Thai, but also Russian, tourist "organizations", active in Thailand (Pattaya, Koh Samui and Phuket), which got so out of hand that a meeting was even held on this subject. invested by a group of ambassadors. Such an initiative by ambassadors, which is in fact interference in internal affairs, is so unique, but also so enormously constructive, that any government, including the Thai one, can hardly ignore it. And the Thai government did not do that either.
During that debate in parliament, as you write, it was indeed discussed that the TAT and AOT only register numbers and present them (or have them presented) as a tourism result, which indeed shows that the numbers of visitors are increasing. But it was also, for the very first time, factually shown that tourism revenues have only shown a continuing downward trend since the fires of Bangkok.
One can say what one likes about Yingluck, but she is the first PM who has hit the TAT hard by imposing a parliamentary dictate on this government organization to commit itself to meeting the wishes of the better tourists. And the better tourists were not understood to include the Chinese and Russian (and Israeli) visitors.
Yours faithfully,
Wim
Khan Peter,
You're absolutely right, the numbers, the Thai government loves them.
And let's face it, the business community is of the same kind as the tourists from China.
And according to the tried-and-tested Chinese recipe of “squeeze”, some things will probably flow into the wide-open pockets.
But, the country itself, the local population, no, they don't care.
What numbers?
Well, a European comes to Thailand for an average of 13 days.
Buys and pays for his ticket in Europe.
And then spends an average of € 100+ per day in the local economy.
The Chinese tourist buys and pays for almost everything in China.
And spends an average of € 12 per day in the local economy.
And, the crunch, stays on average for six days.
Ultimately, the European yields much more.
But, and therein lies the rub, the business community knows this, but sees everything in the short term, and the population will be a pain in the ass.
You are absolutely right, by the way, about your comments about the government, unfortunately.
But Wim is more right.
Recently seen in Phuket, Patong Beach : 4 Chinese storm into a bar, smartphone at the ready, screaming wifi wifi ? Yes we have wifi was the answer. Then they demanded that the TV screens be switched over because they wanted to see Chelsea, whole discussion with the other guests who were watching another match but the Chinese won. After this they finally each ordered a Coke and were screaming noisily for a long time, the other guests left for another bar. One of the Chinese went to the 7/11 across the street and came back with bags full of food, the management intervened and sent them outside, of course again with a lot of noise.
Count out your profit!
It is true that Phuket is teeming with Russians these days, but they cause little inconvenience and the catering industry is quite satisfied with their spending, which is starting to become a plague, the Australians are especially so around the holidays, with booze in the pool and there too smoking, but with an ashtray in hand and fighting with the other guests.
Various people I have met there for years have indicated that they will look for another, quieter place or go cruising.
Something bothers me, I have no insight into figures when it comes to tourism by Chinese or Russians in Thailand. What struck me during my last 4-week stay in Pattaya/Jomtien is that Russians are not that population group that oozes manners. Very loud, ill-mannered and often drunk, they order entire tables of food and drinks and often leave half the table full when they leave the restaurant with much fanfare. They just keep talking Russian to the Thai staff as if they think everyone speaks Russian. An annoyance is also all the Russian inscriptions and the ubiquitous Russian television programs. I really didn't feel like I was in Thailand but in Russia. I hope that the Thai government can turn around this “occupation” in time because it is at the expense of the beautiful Thai culture, but here too, (Russian) money probably does not stink.