Thailand no longer top overseas destination for Chinese tourists

FILE PHOTO: Chinese tourists wear masks as they arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport during a welcome ceremony of Chinese Lunar New Year travellers in Bangkok, Jan 22, 2020. (Reuters)
FILE PHOTO: Chinese tourists wear masks as they arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport during a welcome ceremony of Chinese Lunar New Year travellers in Bangkok, Jan 22, 2020. (Reuters)

Thailand has lost its spot as the most popular cross-border destination for tourists from mainland China, according to a survey by HSBC Holdings Plc, as neighbouring Japan and South Korea moved up the list.

“Barring Hong Kong and Macau, Japan and Korea emerged as the top two preferred cross-border destinations,” analyst Parash Jain wrote in a report. “This reinforces our view that short-haul travel will recover earlier than long-haul international travel.”

The survey, conducted from Oct 28 to Nov 2, also found flight bookings are being made further in advance than they were pre-pandemic, which could reflect greater demand for leisure travel than business.

Most survey respondents said they’d need at least six months after quarantine restrictions are relaxed to become comfortable with international travel, and an effective vaccine is key to boosting confidence, Jain said.

The survey also showed people are more confident about domestic travel thanks to China’s success in containing the virus.

Vocabulary

  • barring: unless the thing mentioned happens or exists - ยกเว้น, ถ้าไม่มี, ยกเสียแต่ว่า
  • confidence: being certain of your abilities or of having trust in people, plans, or the future - ความมั่นใจ
  • in advance: before the time that is expected; before something happens - ล่วงหน้า
  • long-haul: long-distance -
  • preferred: wanted more than anyone or anything else - ซึ่งชอบมากกว่า
  • reinforce: to make stronger - เสริมให้แข็งแรงขึ้น
  • respondent (noun): someone who answers questions - ผู้ตอบคำถาม/แบบสำรวจ
  • short-haul: short distance -
  • survey: the act of asking for and recording information - การสำรวจ, การหาข้อมูล
  • vaccine: a substance which contains a form that is not harmful of a virus and which is given to a person or animal to prevent them from getting the disease which the virus causes - วัคซีน
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