With the approaching "May Day" holiday, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, which have implemented visa-free policies with China, have been eagerly preparing to welcome Chinese tourists.

Mayor of Bangkok, Thailand:Chinese tourists are like our brothers and sisters

On March 1^st, 2024, the visa-free agreement between China and Thailand came into effect officially. Bangkok Mayor, Chadchart Sittipunt, expresses to the reporters before the "May Day" holiday: "We warmly welcome Chinese tourists. The Chinese people are our good friends, and we are like brothers and sisters. Thailand is always ready to welcome Chinese tourists."

Chadchart states that Thailand has made preparations in terms of air and ground transportation and other aspects to ensure the safety of Chinese tourists and provide them with convenience in all aspects. Chinese tourists "will enjoy a pleasant time in Bangkok as long as they come."

Sittikorn Chantadansuwan, Minister-Counselor of the Royal Embassy of Thailand to China, reveals that since the implementation of the visa-free policy on March 1st, nearly 2 million Chinese tourists have visited Thailand by the end of April. Previously, group tours were the main type of travel for Chinese tourists, but now there is a growing trend of independent travel.

Director-General of Tourism Malaysia:We will provide a pleasant experience to Chinese tourists

Manoharan Periasamy, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia, tells reporters that since the implementation of the visa-free policy in December 2023, the number of Chinese tourists has significantly increased. Direct flights from second and third-tier cities in China to Malaysia have also been launched. "Chinese tourists love shopping, so high-end products in most of our malls are sold well during the Chinese New Year holidays."

Manoharan mentions that service counters have been set up at entry points of Kuala Lumpur International Airport and other major airports with direct flights from China. Staff who can speak Mandarin are also hired to assist Chinese tourists in completing electronic entry cards and provide other necessary help and convenience.

The sense of familiarity and convenience brought by the language is also a major attraction for Chinese tourists to Malaysia. In addition, Malaysia's unique cuisine, clear blue waters, and leisurely island scenery are also very appealing to Chinese tourists.

Singapore Tourism Board:Singapore is suitable for family trips

On February 9^th, 2024, the visa-free agreement between China and Singapore came into effect officially. According to statistics, Singapore received 4.35 million international tourists in the first quarter of 2024, with approximately 786,000 of them coming from China, making China the largest source of tourists for Singapore.

The Singapore Tourism Board also encourages local tourism operators to digitize their operations through WeChat mini-programs and live streaming methods. They have also signed memorandums of understanding with institutions such as WeChat Pay and UnionPay International to better meet the travel and consumption needs of Chinese tourists.

Mr. Li, a recent Chinese tourist to Singapore, stated that Singapore is a clean city with convenient transportation and easy communication, and people use WeChat and Alipay a lot, which gives him an excellent travel experience.

"Since the visa-free policy was implemented, the number of tourists from China, especially independent travelers, has significantly increased. Recently, we have launched some cost-effective customized group tours to cater to different needs of Chinese customers, including affordable land packages and family-friendly tours," says Gong Yaqiong, the person in charge of Summer Holidays Pte Ltd.

免签后首个“五一”假期，这些国家为迎接中国游客做足了准备

“五一”假期将至，已与中国实现双向免签的东南亚国家泰国、马来西亚和新加坡已摩拳擦掌，为迎接中国游客的到来做足了准备。

泰国曼谷市长：欢迎中国游客，我们就像兄弟姐妹

今年3月1日，中国和泰国互免签证协定正式生效。泰国曼谷市长差察·西迪汶在“五一”假期前对记者说：“我们非常欢迎中国游客，中国人民是我们的好朋友，我们就像兄弟姐妹一样。泰国随时准备好迎接中国游客。”

差察表示，泰国在航空、地面交通等方面已做好准备，将保障好中国旅客安全，提供各方面便利，中国游客“只要能来，就能在曼谷度过一段愉快的时光”。

泰国驻华大使馆公使衔参赞陈金盛介绍说，今年3月1日免签政策生效以来，到4月底已有约200万中国游客来泰。此前中国游客以“组团游”为主，而现在选择“自由行”的越来越多。

马来西亚旅游促进局总监：要给中国游客愉快的体验

马来西亚旅游促进局总监马诺哈兰对记者表示，从去年12月实施免签政策至今，中国游客数量增长明显，一些中国二、三线城市也新开通了直飞马来西亚的航线。“中国游客喜爱购物，大多数商场的高端产品，在春节假期销量很好。”

马诺哈兰表示，在吉隆坡国际机场和其他大多数有中国直飞航班的入境点，都设立了服务台，聘请了能说普通话的工作人员，在填写电子入境卡等方面为中国游客提供帮助和便利。

语言上的亲近感和便利性也是马来西亚吸引中国游客的一大法宝。此外，马来西亚独特的美食、湛蓝的海水、悠闲的海岛风光也对中国游客很有吸引力。

新加坡旅游局：适合亲子游

今年2月9日，中国和新加坡互免签证协定正式生效。据统计，今年一季度新加坡接待国际游客435万人次，其中来自中国的游客约78.6万人次，中国成为新加坡最大游客来源地。

新加坡旅游局还鼓励本地旅游业者通过微信小程序和直播等方式对旅游业进行数字化赋能，并与微信支付和银联国际等机构签署谅解备忘录，更好满足中国游客的旅行和消费需求。

近期到访新加坡的中国游客李先生表示，新加坡城市整洁，交通方便，沟通也没什么障碍，微信和支付宝使用率较高，旅行体验很好。

“免签以来，来自中国的游客，特别是自由行游客大幅增加。我们近期针对中国客户的不同需求推出了一些经济实惠的落地散拼和适合家庭亲子游的定制化小型包团。”新加坡夏日风情旅游有限公司负责人龚娅琼说。

来源｜新华社
翻译｜洪婷