BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The "visa-free era" between Thailand and China that started from March 1 is adding new impetus to tourism thriving in the Chinese province of Guizhou now.
Situated in southwest China, Guizhou welcomed the first batch of travel groups from Thailand on March 9 when a direct flight between Bangkok and Guiyang, the provincial capital, arrived at the Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport.
Upon arrival, Yordkaew Worrawit, a 36-year-old Thai tourist, joined the ethnic dancing performance accompanied with music played by local reed-pipe wind instrument Lusheng at the airport to express his delight.
As his first tour to Guizhou, travelling there fascinates him who is excited about the diverse ethnic cultures and traditions and hospitality of local people.
A policeman of Guizhou entry-exit frontier inspection station helps a tourist from Thailand fill in entry registration card on March 9. (Xinhua/Zhou Xuanni)
Similar to Chiang Mai of Thailand, Guizhou also boasts impressively beautiful landscape and has become a travel destination for many Thai people at present, said Termtanan Charnwit, a 23-year-old young man from Thailand.
In his eyes, the mutual visa exemption spurred more Thai tourists eager to learn about China and Chinese culture to embark on convenient trips without planning.
Khanyanutt Thepchai, head of Fin Trips, a Thai travel agency, applauded the booming trips from Thailand to China in the visa-free era, saying that surging click-through rates of related travel service websites attested to the ignited enthusiasm of Thai people for travel to China.
During the 6-day long trip of his tour group in Guizhou, Khanyanutt Thepchai suggested Thai tourists paying visits to multiple reputed scenic areas there, such as Xiaoqikong in Libo County, Miao ethnic villages of Xijiang Town, and the 100,00 mu (about 666.67 ha) of sakura garden in Guian New District.
Thanks to the much improved travelling convenience, the travel agency intended to make vigorous efforts to explore the tourism market of Guizhou in a bid to provide more Thai tourists with chances of viewing the fascinating scenic spots there.
Compared to the past, Fahsai Youlapath, a woman who has been in China for many times, thought her present tour to Guizhou together with her six family members much more convenient.
According to Fahsai Youlapath, the China-Thailand mutual visa exemption helped her family save about 500 yuan of visa-related expenses per person and customs passage also costed shorter time than before.
Thai tourists posed for a group photo with ethnic dance performers at the Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport in Guizhou on March 9. (Xinhua/Zhou Xuanni)
(Edited by Duan Jing with Xinhua Silk Road, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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