Thailand advances tourism partnership with China during high-level visit

Thailand

TAT outlines long-term strategy to boost high-value travel and bilateral growth

Thailand is reinforcing its tourism cooperation with China following the official visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his meeting with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul in Bangkok. In this context, the Tourism Authority of Thailand presented a comprehensive strategic agenda aimed at deepening bilateral ties and positioning tourism as a central driver of economic and social exchange.

Tourism as a pillar of bilateral relations

The initiative aligns with Thailand’s 2026 targets of 4.72 million Chinese visitors and tourism revenue of at least 260 billion Baht. TAT frames tourism not only as an economic contributor but also as a bridge for cultural exchange and people-to-people connections.

TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool emphasised the importance of the Chinese market: “China remains one of Thailand’s most important tourism markets, and this high-level diplomatic engagement provides a timely platform to advance structured, long-term cooperation. TAT is focused on rebuilding confidence, strengthening quality tourism, and driving sustainable bilateral growth that benefits both countries.”

Long-term partnership framework

At the core of the proposal is a Thailand–China Tourism Partnership for the period 2026 to 2030. The framework aims to connect national and regional stakeholders, strengthen cooperation between government and industry, and encourage more balanced travel flows between established and emerging destinations in both countries.

The strategy prioritises high-value and thematic tourism, supported by coordinated promotion and a shared calendar of activities. Key segments include health and wellness, sports tourism, cultural and festival events, gastronomy, heritage travel and MICE. The objective is to diversify offerings, improve demand quality and promote year-round travel.

Focus on new growth segments

The agenda also highlights emerging areas such as medical and wellness tourism as well as film and pop culture-driven travel. Thailand continues to position itself as a leading wellness destination under the concept “Healing is the New Luxury”, while joint content production is expected to strengthen international visibility and stimulate demand.

In parallel, both sides aim to expand travel facilitation and marketing cooperation. Planned measures include additional flight connections from secondary Chinese cities, joint trade events, media and influencer programmes, and the use of digital platforms, shared data and AI-driven targeting to reach specific traveller segments more effectively.

Strengthening standards and cooperation

To enhance trust and consistency, TAT proposes structured collaboration on tourist safety, visitor satisfaction and crisis communication. This includes joint protocols and personnel exchanges to align standards and regulatory approaches across both tourism systems.

As a next step, Thailand recommends establishing a joint tourism working group and launching pilot projects in 2026 and 2027. These initiatives are intended to translate high-level agreements into measurable outcomes and further strengthen the long-standing relationship between both countries under the concept of a shared community.