Trouble in paradise: Fewer than expected Chinese tourists have come to Thailand this year, hurting the country’s bottom line. — AFP
The nation’s ambitious goal of attracting as many as nine million tourists from China this year looks in doubt, after the kidnapping of a Chinese actor started driving mainland visitors to the safety of Japan and Singapore.
Flight cancellations to the country that brands itself as the “Land of Smiles” surged 94% last month, according to Bloomberg Intelligence research, as more Chinese opted instead to take their families to Japan during the Lunar New Year.
