Chinese visitors could reach 3-5 million next year if travel restrictions are lifted, but travel agents on the mainland are still struggling with preparations, according to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta).
Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, Atta president, said many Chinese travel agents are preparing to resume operations after Beijing eased some Covid-19 curbs, such as reducing quarantine days for inbound arrivals and abolishing Covid-19 testing centres.
Mr Sisdivachr said a number of workers in China left the tourism industry for other careers. It will take time to resume normal operations.
Moreover, outbound tour agents in China remain worried about Covid-19 in Thailand, even though it was declared endemic, he said.
Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary-general of Atta, said China's stringent travel restrictions have affected more than 100 million workers in their tourism industry.
Another challenge is the sentiment of most Chinese people, as they are still worried about Covid-19, said Mr Adith.
He said there were long queues of people buying medicines at pharmacies, although the government has tried to convince the public the disease doesn't cause severe symptoms.
"Only a small fraction of them are confident to travel at the moment," said Mr Sisdivachr.
He said Thailand should prepare its tourism supply chain beforehand, including workers, tourist attractions and flight capacity.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand earlier predicted that some Chinese will start to travel during the Lunar New Year in January.
However, Mr Sisdivachr said that scenario is unlikely because the entry policy for China will not be clarified until the Two Sessions meeting there in March.
The relaxation of Covid-19 measures in Hong Kong attracted Chinese tourists and has paved the way for them to fly to Thailand as well, he said.
Mr Sisdivachr said he urged the authorities to help increase seat capacity to Thailand, which is the most important factor, and launch aggressive marketing campaigns to accommodate Chinese tourists next year.
A recent survey by ITB China, a business-to-business trade show, found more than 65% of buyers said the Chinese outbound market is capable of bouncing back in around one year after reopening.
Roughly 32% of them said they expected a recovery within six months.
The survey also suggested two major behavioural trends -- the expectation of hygienic and public health measures to control virus outbreaks, as well as price promotions.
Thailand ranked among the top five destinations on Chinese travellers' wish lists, according to Dragon Trail Research.
