BANGKOK, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on Monday announced the launch of the "Nihao Month 2026," a comprehensive campaign designed to stimulate travel demand in China during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day "Golden Week" holidays.
Under the guiding principle of "China and Thailand are one family," the third edition of the campaign aims to strengthen people-to-people connections and promote two-way travel, while also reinforcing safety, service quality, and tourism standards and advancing sustainable tourism cooperation between the two countries.
Running from Tuesday until the end of October, the program integrates digital sales conversion, on-ground visitor privileges, cultural engagement, and key-opinion-leader storytelling to sustain market momentum through the low season and into the 2027 Chinese New Year.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said the agency is focusing on high-quality goods and services. By integrating premium offerings alongside standard-certified hotels, hospitals, and shopping centers, she said, the agency seeks to enhance the overall value of the travel experience.
During the launch ceremony, Thapanee said efforts are made to give travelers stronger reasons to choose Thailand, stay longer, and return, while also supporting higher-value travel and solidifying the Southeast Asian country's position as a top-of-mind destination for the Chinese market.
The TAT projects a 24 percent year-on-year increase in Chinese arrivals to approximately 250,000 for the holiday period, generating an estimated 11.5 billion baht (about 345.48 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue, up 37 percent from a year earlier.
Forward bookings to Thailand for October have risen 16 percent, while flight searches from China have jumped 24 percent, according to travel data firm ForwardKeys. ■