Chinese tourists prefer Thailand, Malaysia over Vietnam for Golden Week due to visa policies

By Tu Nguyen, Hoang Phong October 11, 2024 | 10:43 pm PT

Chinese tourists in Mui Ne, south central Vietnam during the Golden Week holiday in October 2024. Photo courtesy of Steve Nguyen

The number of Chinese tourists visiting Vietnam during the recent Golden Week holiday fell short of pre-pandemic levels and data showed they are now favoring destinations with more relaxed visa policies such as Thailand and Malaysia.

During this year's holiday from Oct. 1-7, the number of overseas trips made by Chinese tourists increased by 60% compared to the same period last year.

According to data from online travel agency Trip.com, the top five overseas destinations for Chinese tourists during this holiday were Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam.

In 2018, Vietnam ranked third among the most popular overseas destinations for Chinese tourists, following Japan and Thailand. In 2019, it had dropped to fourth place behind Japan, Thailand, and South Korea.

Thi Vi Kiet, a tour guide specializing in Chinese tourists in Ho Chi Minh City, reported a 70% decrease in visitors during this year's Golden Week compared to 2019.

While Kiet managed to lead two tours during the holiday due to his connections with several travel companies, he said many other tour guides were left without work.

Nguyen Thi Hai Nam, deputy general director of Vietnam Global International Travel, which focuses on Chinese visitors, said the number of Chinese tourists during the holiday did not increase compared to regular days and was significantly lower than in 2019.

Before the pandemic, Chinese partners often had to make plans to send guests three to four months in advance to ensure adequate services from hotels, restaurants to tour guides. This year, requests from Chinese partners came in just a week before the holiday began.

The company hosted only three groups this year, each with around 20 guests, compared to 20-30 groups during the same period in 2019, Nam added.

Tu Quy Thanh, general director of Lien Bang Tourism Company, attributed the drop in Chinese visitors to visa policy and the economic slowdown.

Meanwhile, Thailand and Malaysia experienced positive trends from the Chinese market during the holiday.

Alipay transactions by Chinese users in overseas markets surged by over 60% during the first four days of Golden Week compared to the same period in 2023, with Malaysia being a top destination, according to The Star.

Thailand attracted 183,000 Chinese tourists during the holiday, reaching 88% of 2019 levels and generating 5.1 billion baht ($153 million) in revenue, as reported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Steve Nguyen, market director of Trip.com in Vietnam, explained that visa exemptions in Thailand and Malaysia give these countries a significant edge in attracting Chinese tourists.

Thailand introduced permanent visa exemptions for Chinese tourists in March this year, while Malaysia introduced 30-day visa waiver to Chinese citizens last December, a policy that has been extended until 2026.

Chinese tourists still need to apply for a visa to visit Vietnam that lies across the border.

Despite the challenges, Vietnam saw a 141% year-on-year increase in Chinese tourists during the first nine months of 2024.

Some tourism businesses remain optimistic about a recovery in Chinese arrivals, expecting that the global economic downturn may lead tourists to choose safe, geographically close destinations like Vietnam in the near future.