Chinese tourists prefer Thailand to Vietnam: Agoda

By Anh Tu, Hoang Phong March 1, 2024 | 03:41 pm PT

Chinese tourists visit the Central Post Office in downtown HCMC, June 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Thanh Tung

Thailand was Chinese tourists' favorite country in Southeast Asia last year, followed by Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, according to data from online travel platform Agoda.

The number of Chinese visitors to Vietnam last year reached 1.7 million compared to 5.8 million in 2019, the year before the onset of the Covid.

Thailand received the highest number of Chinese tourists in Southeast Asia last year, with 3.5 million arrivals, according to data collected from the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

A representative of a Hanoi travel agency specializing in the Chinese tourist market said that the number of Chinese visitors it served last year was only 10% of its 2019 figure.

The business is working with Chinese partners to better understand why Chinese tourists are no longer as interested in traveling to Vietnam.

Martin Koerner, Head of the Vietnam Business Forum’s Tourism Working Group, said Thailand is doing well in the regional tourism race because of its open visa policy.

And additionally, beginning in March, Thailand and China will permanently waive visas for each other.

Before the pandemic, Chinese tourists used to be the largest source of inbound international tourism for Vietnam.