Thailand Strengthens China Travel Links, CITM 2025 Honour Signals New Era of High Quality Tourism Growth

Published on December 19, 2025

Thailand has taken centre stage in China’s outbound travel landscape after being designated Guest Country of Honour at China International Travel Mart 2025, a milestone that coincides with five decades of diplomatic relations between Thailand and China. The high-profile appointment underscores the strategic importance of the Chinese market to Thai tourism and signals a renewed push to deepen travel ties between the two nations.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand spearheaded the country’s presence at the three-day trade fair, held from 19 to 21 December 2025 at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Haikou. The Thai delegation was led by TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool, alongside Pattaraanong Na Chiang Mai, Deputy Governor for International Marketing covering Asia and the South Pacific, reflecting the senior-level commitment behind Thailand’s engagement with China’s travel industry.

CITM is widely regarded as China’s most powerful travel trade platform, bringing together tourism boards, airlines, travel technology companies, tour operators, and destination marketers from across the world. The 2025 edition marked the first time the event was hosted in Haikou, a move that spotlighted Hainan’s rising role as a southern gateway connecting China with ASEAN destinations. Positioned at the southern tip of mainland China, Haikou has emerged as a high-potential outbound market, supported by strong economic growth, improving air connectivity, and a traveller profile dominated by millennials, families, and premium wellness-focused consumers.

At the heart of Thailand’s participation was the Thailand Pavilion, designed as a multifunctional hub for business engagement and consumer inspiration. Serving both B2B and B2C objectives, the pavilion allowed Thai tourism operators to connect directly with Chinese travel partners while showcasing the depth and diversity of the Thai tourism experience. Visitors were immersed in hands-on cultural activities, including traditional Thai massage demonstrations, handicraft workshops, and live performances ranging from classical Khon theatre and regional dance to Muay Thai showcases.

Fashion and design also played a prominent role, with presentations highlighting Thailand’s national costumes alongside contemporary Thai fashion, reinforcing the country’s creative credentials and cultural sophistication. These experiences were curated to appeal to evolving Chinese traveller interests, which increasingly favour authenticity, wellness, lifestyle enrichment, and experiential travel.

Beyond the exhibition floor, TAT actively strengthened commercial partnerships through targeted networking initiatives. An Amazing Thailand Networking Lunch brought together 12 leading Chinese tour operators and representatives from Hainan Airlines and 9Air, creating a platform to explore cooperative marketing campaigns, route development opportunities, and product innovation tailored to Chinese consumer demand. TAT also joined the Nihao China welcome reception hosted by the Hainan Provincial Government, expanding its engagement with regional authorities and reinforcing Thailand’s visibility within China’s tourism ecosystem.

In parallel with CITM, Thailand advanced long-term collaboration through formal agreements signed in Haikou on 18 December 2025. Letters of Intent were concluded with the Haikou Municipal Bureau of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports and with Tongcheng Travel Holdings, one of China’s leading integrated online travel platforms. These agreements focus on joint destination promotion, enhanced market intelligence sharing, digital marketing cooperation, and initiatives to improve travel convenience and connectivity between the two countries.

Through these efforts, TAT aims to reinforce positive perceptions of Thailand as a safe, high-quality, and service-ready destination, while stimulating travel demand during the peak year-end holiday period and through to Chinese New Year in February 2026. Thailand’s status as Guest Country of Honour at CITM 2025, combined with sustained marketing activity across TAT’s five offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming, and Guangzhou, is expected to accelerate the return of high-value Chinese travellers and support a more resilient recovery of the market.

The results to date highlight the importance of this momentum. Between 1 January and 12 December 2025, Chinese travellers ranked second among all international arrivals to Thailand, with 4.24 million visitors recorded. These travellers stayed an average of 8.5 days and spent approximately 54,230 baht per trip, delivering significant economic impact. Bangkok, Chon Buri, Phuket, and Chiang Mai emerged as the most visited destinations, while culinary exploration, heritage sightseeing, spa and wellness experiences, beach holidays, and night-time attractions remained the most popular activities.

As Thailand and China mark 50 years of diplomatic relations, Thailand’s prominent role at CITM 2025 reflects not only a celebration of shared history but also a forward-looking strategy focused on quality tourism growth, deeper cooperation, and a renewed commitment to meeting the expectations of China’s next generation of travellers.