Hong Kong · China · Bangkok Post
Unlocking western China
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Two-way tourism has been a focus in driving Chinese arrivals back to pre-pandemic levels, said the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) during a roadshow in new potential cities in China.
Key facts
- For Thailand-bound routes, the region had 1.26 million seats in 2025, recovering to roughly 65% of pre-Covid-19 levels
- It was the only area in western China to record capacity growth from 2024 to 2025, increasing by 48.5%.
- Two-way tourism has been a focus in driving Chinese arrivals back to pre-pandemic levels, said the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) during a roadshow in new potential cities in China.
- Last week, Atta held a roadshow in three cities -- Urumqi, Dunhuang and Lanzhou -- located in western China along the fabled Silk Road trade route.
- According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) Chengdu office, western China has a population of 223 million, or 15.8% of the country's population.
- Airports across the region handled more than 12 million passengers last year, a 35% year-on-year increase
Summary
Last week, Atta held a roadshow in three cities -- Urumqi, Dunhuang and Lanzhou -- located in western China along the fabled Silk Road trade route.
In collaboration with the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), which oversees outbound tours, Atta took more than 80 Thai tourism operators to meet 300 Chinese operators in Urumqi, 100 in Dunhuang and 300 in Lanzhou.