Thailand becomes China’s second largest outbound tourism destination

Over 3.24 million travel journeys were made from China to Thailand, up 107.7 percent year on year, Xinhua learned on Sunday.

The number of Chinese tourists to Thailand in the first nine months of 2013 more than doubled year on year, making it the second-biggest visitor destination country for Chinese, latest data has showed.

In Jan.-March, a period containing China’s Spring Festival holiday, the number of Chinese visitors to Thailand was 93 percent more than in the same period of 2012. Experts predicted the figure will surpass four million by the end of this year.

“If the two countries can simplify visa procedures in the near future, we will see another surge in tourism,” said Shao Qiwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration.

Chinese tourists are choosing Thailand because of its low prices, proximity to China, easy visa procedure and more airline choices, added Guo Dongjie, vice president of Ctrip, China’s biggest online tour operator.