Wednesday 24 March 2021

THAILAND TOURISM OFFICIALS TALK OF POTENTIAL TRAVEL BUBBLE WITH CHINA

With restrictions in Beijing easing and plans to issue digital Covid-19 vaccination certificates to Chinese nationals, there may soon be a travel bubble between Thailand and China, allowing those vaccinated against the coronavirus to travel between the countries without quarantine.

Just yesterday, the Chinese government announced it would issue the digital certificates to help citizens travelling overseas, a move that made the tourism industry in Thailand “jubilant,” the president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Vichit Prakobosol, told the Bangkok Post.

Immediately after the announcement, tour agencies in China contacted operators in Thailand to talk about the possibility of quarantine -free travel for vaccinated tourists.

“If Thailand can implement a travel bubble with China by that time, we have high hopes we can have 8 million Chinese visitors this year… If a pact is finalised in July, Chinese arrivals would be less than 6 million, and if not until October, the figure is more likely 3 million.”

Thailand may potentially set up a tourism project called the “Andaman sandbox” that would allow quarantine-free travel to tourism destinations along the Andaman coast such as Phuket, Koh Ngai, Railay and Khao Lak, according to Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

The Andaman pilot projects will benefit the tourism industry, Vichit says. He also says travel arrangements with China should be a top priority.

Read the full article at Thaiger: https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-tourism-officials-talk-of-potential-travel-bubble-with-china
Photo by Gerrie van der Walt for Unsplash
Tags: China, digital Covid-19 vaccination, Thailand, travel bubble

Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
c/o 3rd Floor, Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 154 Rama 1 Road National Stadium, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Web: www.mekongtourism.org
Tel: +66 2038 5071-1

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