On Thursday, 160 Chinese visitors arrived at U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport in Rayong on China’s Loong Air’s first flight to the province’s east.
According to airport deputy director Rear Admiral Kiatkul Suwan, flight GJ8973, an Airbus A320, arrived from Xi’an Xianyang International Airport in northwest China bringing tourists who want to discover Thailand.
After three years of Covid, Kiatkul lauded the return of Chinese tourists as a positive development for Rayong’s tourism sector.
We predict that tourism will soon resume its previous pattern of providing significant cash for local communities.
He said that during peak hours, U-Tapao-Rayong-Pattaya International Airport can currently handle up to 1,400 people per hour.
He continued by saying that the airport was prepared to handle the rising demand from both leisure and business travelers coming to the eastern area and its commercial hubs in the Eastern Economic Corridor.
Chinese visitors return on the maiden Loong Air trip to U-Tapao to cheers in Rayong.
Early in January, China lifted its quarantine policies, allowing its citizens to travel.
According to the Tourism Administration of Thailand, some 300,000 Chinese tourists will go to Thailand in the first quarter, with at least 5 million expected overall (TAT). In 2023, at least 25 million international visitors are anticipated in Thailand, mostly thanks to Chinese visitors.
