Officials from Thailand's Department of Fine Arts install a decoration on the royal barge at the Royal Thai Naval Dockyard, Bangkok, on July 24, 2024. The special event of Royal Barge Procession will be part of performance in honor of Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn on the occasion of his 72nd birthday, 28 July 2024. Photo: VCG

Thailand will launch a new safety certification program for hotels, restaurants and shopping malls by August, local media outlets reported on Sunday citing tourism authorities, in an effort to lure back Chinese visitors after a sharp decline in arrivals ahead of China's October National Day holiday season.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is rolling out a rapid-response campaign to rebuild Chinese tourists' confidence. The new certification initiative, called "Thailand Safe Travel Stamp," aims to brand tourism operators as safe and trustworthy ahead of the upcoming Golden Week holiday, according to Thailand media outlet The Nation.

The stamp will be granted to qualified hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and tourism operators by August, the report said, citing Erblarp Sripirom, director of the Tourism Products Division at the TAT, per the report.

Thailand's tourism industry is reeling from a sharp decline in Chinese visitors amid growing safety concerns and economic headwinds, particularly after the high-profile abduction of Chinese actor Wang Xing earlier in the year, which sparked a wave of cancellations of Chinese tourists. 

Official data showed a noticeable decrease in Chinese arrivals to the Southeast Asian travel destination. From January 1 to June 22, 2.17 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand, a 4.24 percent drop from the same period last year. Chinese visitors were once the top source of Thailand's inbound tourism, but they now trail behind Malaysians, who numbered 2.19 million during the same period, per the report.

The latest move marks a renewed effort by Thailand's tourism authorities to actively respond to market fluctuations since the Chinese New Year holidays in February. The TAT in May launched a "Sawasdee Nihao" campaign, and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra hailed the launch of the initiative as a new starting point for Thailand-China sustainable cooperation in tourism, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Safety incidents earlier in the year have shaken Chinese tourists' confidence in traveling to Thailand, said Hu Qimu, deputy secretary-general of the Forum 50 for Digital-Real Economies Integration, noting that the introduction of a safety certification program is a move to help rebuild that trust, with its launch in August being particularly well-timed.

"As the summer travel peak approaches, introducing a safety certification system can both reassure safety-conscious families and young travelers and help drive a recovery in tourism revenue," Hu noted.

Hu stressed that Southeast Asia, including Thailand, remains highly attractive to Chinese tourists due to competitive costs, convenient travel time, and cultural compatibility with China. "However, destination countries must also ensure a safe and trustworthy tourism environment for visitors," he added.

The distribution of the Thailand Safe Travel Stamps will begin in August, following the completion of the screening process. To further boost tourist confidence, the TAT plans to launch promotional campaigns targeting Chinese outbound travelers in October, tourism media platform Travel And Tour World reported on Sunday.

Figures from Thailand's tourism authorities indicated that 6.73 million Chinese tourists visited Thailand in 2024, a 91.7 percent increase from the previous year, Xinhua reported.

The rising number of Chinese tourists has not only generated revenue and employment for Thailand but also driven growth in key economic sectors such as tourism services, agriculture, and food production, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the TAT, said in an interview with Xinhua in February.

Hu said that as China's consumption continues to upgrade with rising demand for high-level travel experiences, boosting brand recognition and trust among Chinese tourists could help Thailand strengthen its position as a preferred destination and generate long-term gains for its tourism sector and economy.