Travel firms gear up for Chinese visitors

Some enterprises plan to employ more Mandarin-speaking staff, while expanding their facilities to serve more visitors.

Akaraphol Chaimongkoltrakul, marketing director of Samphran Elephant Ground and Zoo, said that because of the Chinese government’s policy to get rid of “zero-dollar tours”, Thai enterprises could expect Chinese visitors with more purchasing power to come to the Kingdom next year. Samphran is one of the businesses that will hire more Mandarin speakers.

He foresees that with more “quality tourists” arriving from that country, his business should earn more income from Chinese visitors as the price of a Chinese tour to Thailand would increase from an average of Bt18,000-Bt20,000 to more than Bt30,000.

Dhwat Sommanobhat, head of marketing and public relations of Riverside Masterplan, operator of Asiatique, said it would launch a new Muay Thai show to draw more foreign visitors, particularly from Western countries and China.

The Thai boxing show will be held every day. The tickets will be about Bt1,200-Bt1,500 per seat.

In the next few years, the company also plans to expand its complex to the opposite side of the Chao Phraya River to serve more tourists.

“The company is asking for the government’s approval to build a cross-river ferry to connect its complex in Phra Nakhon with the Thon Buri side,” Dhwat said. Sa-Nguan Limtanakul, marketing director of Ramada Plaza Bangkok Menam Riverside Hotel, said he expected the standard of Chinese travellers to improve thanks to that country’s new tourism law.

Although the number of Chinese travellers dropped by 40-50 per cent after the law was enacted early last month, more Chinese with higher spending power are expected to visit Thailand after the next Chinese New Year, he said.

The hotel has staffed many of its facilities with Mandarin speakers.

About 1,400-1,500 Chinese stay at Ramada Hotel each month.

Chenyue Xu, sales and public relations coordinator at Twinpalms Phuket, said the resort would target more upper-class Chinese tourists as it was confident they would spend a lot of money. With only 97 rooms, Twinpalms has targeted honeymoon couples or luxury-seeking visitors from China.

Daraporn Sookpromsan, sales manager of Destination Patong Hotel and Spa, said it planned to attract more Chinese individual travellers as they would spend more than members of a group tour.

Daranee Sillapaolankul, sales executive of Siam Niramit, said the theatre planned to adjust some ticket prices to serve more high-end tourists from China in the future.

She said more high-income tourists from China were expected to visit Thailand as this is one of top destinations that can serve a variety of demands, while Chinese were also familiar with Thai culture and liked the flexible Thai living style.