Thailand wins accolades in Ctrip’s popular tourist destination awards

The rankings and awards were based on the responses of more than 250 million Ctrip users.
Ctrip.com International, founded in 1999 in Shanghai, employs more than 30,000 people at branches in major cities in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and Japan.
Thailand’s top tourist destinations ranked close to the top in most of Ctrip’s award categories.
Bangkok came in second and Chiang Mai ninth in Ctrip’s Best Overseas Destination awards.
The Thai capital ranked eighth in the category Best Destination for Students. Chiang Mai also figured 10th in the Most Popular Destinations for Self-Guided Tours.
Phuket and Krabi ranked high in the Best Island Destination category at third and seventh.
Another popular island destination, Samui in Surat Thani province on the Gulf of Thailand, ranked in sixth place in the Most Potential Destination category.
Srisuda Wannapinyosak, deputy governor for international marketing for Asia and South Pacific at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said recently that the success was due to TAT’s strong commitment to work with China’s outbound travel companies through marketing strategies that target high-income, quality tourists.
“This is reflected in our efforts to draw Chinese newlyweds to Thailand for their honeymoon and golfers to play on our world-class courses.”
Thailand attracted 7,934,791 Chinese last year.
Visits generated estimated revenue of Bt400 billion. Market surveys indicate that the average spending per Chinese visitor stands at Bt47,000 per trip.
This year, TAT rolls out campaigns based on a strategy to attract up-scale Chinese travellers.
One of the projects is the Thailand Photo Contest, which will sponsor Chinese photographers on a tour of specific routes in Thailand from March 17-24. Their photographs will be judged by the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand and revealed on April 8.