TAT Launches Nihao Month 2026 Campaign to Attract Chinese Tourists, Aiming for 11.5 Billion Baht Revenue

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched the “Nihao Month 2026” campaign to welcome the Golden Week festival, promoting the slogan “China and Thailand Are Close Like Siblings.” The campaign aims to attract 250,000 Chinese tourists to Thailand, expected to generate 11.5 billion baht in revenue. It also capitalizes on the trend of extended leave lasting 13 days, sustaining strong spending through the Chinese New Year in 2027.

Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaiboon, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), stated that the Chinese tourist market remains important and a key segment for Thai tourism. During the Mid-Autumn Festival and China’s National Day (Golden Week) in 2026, travel trends show positive growth signals. TAT is therefore seizing this opportunity to continue the “Nihao Month 2026” project for its third year under the concept “China and Thailand Are Close Like Siblings” to stimulate tourism and elevate Thailand as the top choice destination (Top of Mind Destination) for Chinese tourists. The goal is to encourage longer stays, maximize spending, and foster repeat visits. The campaign also aims to sustain market momentum through the low season and the Chinese New Year festival in 2027.

Overall, from 1 January to 10 September 2026, Thailand has welcomed over 3.64 million Chinese tourists, making China the leading foreign market in arrivals. During the Golden Week (25 September - 7 October 2026), TAT estimates about 250,000 Chinese tourists will visit Thailand, a 24% increase, expected to generate 11.5 billion baht in revenue, up 37%.

A positive growth factor is the “3 Days Off for 13 Days” leave pattern, where Chinese tourists take extended leave to coincide with festivals, increasing average trip duration from 8 to 13 days per trip. This aligns with a 16% growth in advance flight bookings to Thailand in October (ForwardKeys) and a 24% rise in flight searches from major economic cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Chongqing.

Four main activities rolled out to aggressively target the Chinese market

To seize this economic opportunity, TAT has organized four key activities throughout the campaign:

• Joint Promotion with Meituan (15 September - 31 October) Offering promotions on accommodation, travel, and spotlighting restaurants through the Black Pearl Restaurant Guide, targeting tourists from both primary and secondary cities.
• Amazing Thailand Mid-Autumn Celebration 2026 (25 September) at One Bangkok, a cultural event celebrating Thai-Chinese relations through making mooncakes, featuring celebrities and Chinese influencers to boost the "Zhong Tai Yi Jia Xin" (China-Thailand One Family) sentiment.
• Amazing Thailand Mid-Autumn KOLs FAM Trip (26-29 September) Hosting over 40 Chinese media and influencers on four potential tourism routes (Krabi; Phetchaburi-Prachuap; Chiang Rai; Rayong-Koh Samet) targeting high-spending quality tourists.
• Chinese Passport Privilege (15 September - 31 October) Partnering with 20 major organizations including retail groups (Big C, Central, The Mall, One Bangkok, etc.), spas, telecommunications, and payment platforms to offer exclusive privileges simply by showing a Chinese passport.

TAT aims for the “Nihao Month 2026” campaign to generate over 500 million impressions among the Chinese target audience, reinforcing Thailand’s strong tourism image and injecting substantial funds into the economy.

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