In mid -July, at least 1,000 yuan (RMB, Same, S $ 189) to fly from Guangzhou, China to Guangzhou, China, but some travel agencies have only 999 yuan for six days and five night tours, and in addition to air tickets, it also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also, also your air ticket.Wrap five -star hotels, bags, and wizards.
These tourism facilities sold at ultra -low prices seem to be at a loss business, but many travel agencies are launched.Many Chinese travel websites can be easily searched.
This kind of so -called "zero group fee" tour group uses ultra -low prices to attract tourists to sign up, and then take tourists to the designated shopping point for consumption, and use the commission to return the copy.For example, Bangkok Pattaya's six -day and five -night tour played 999 yuan attractive prices. After asking the reporter of Lianhe Zaobao, I learned that there were three fixed shopping stations in the trip.Travel agencies said that the guide usually takes tourists to buy latex, silk or medicine.
Although it will be taken to shop, because the group fee is cheap, the "zero group fee" travel is not attractive.The Thai tour groups that are advertised as "pure play" are generally 2,500 yuan to 3,000 yuan after the air ticket is added.This does not include the visa visa and the tip to the tour guide.In comparison, the "shopping group" group fee is at least half cheaper.
According to the data of multiple Chinese tourism websites, Thailand is still one of the most popular tourist destinations for Chinese tourists.This year, the number of Chinese passengers in Thailand has exceeded 1 million. Strong demand for Thailand provides a huge market for the "zero group fee" travel.
The Thai government predicts that this year will usher in 5 million Chinese tourists, bringing about 446 billion baht (about S $ 1.74 billion) tourism income.Depending on the number of flights in the tourist season, Chinese passengers entering Thailand this year may even reach 7 million.
Tourism has always been an important pillar of the Thai economy, and Chinese tourists are one of the main sources of Thailand's tourism industry.The number of Chinese tourists will directly determine the pace of Thailand's tourism recovery, and even the speed of the haze of the crown disease epidemic in the Thai economy.
There are many disadvantages of zero group fees
However, while introducing Chinese tourists in Thailand, low -cost tour groups have also caused negative impact on Thailand's tourism industry.About seven or eight years ago, when China ’s zero group fees arrived in Thailand, a series of bad incidents broke out, including tour guides forced tourists to spend. If tourists have low consumption or low consumption, tourists will leave tourists, abuse, threatened threats, threatened threats.Even beat them.
A teacher who had participated in a low -cost group to travel to the Inner Mongolia Plateau, Fu Wenqian (24 years old) to be interviewed by Lianhe Zaobao, was too bad to batch the travel experience of the low -cost group.
Fu Wenqian from Guangdong, China, said: "The group fee is not included, you have to spend money everywhere you go. When you take the car to the side of the prairie, you can take the money to get in the off -road vehicle, otherwise you will be alone.Wait until it is dark, in fact, there is also the meaning of strong buying and strong selling. On the last day, it took a total of one or two thousand yuan, but the overall travel experience was very poor, and there was a feeling of being deceived. "
Fu Wenqian, who is planning to travel to Thailand in July, said, he said categorically that he would never consider participating in the low -cost group."After Inner Mongolia, I have never considered a low price group again, it is even more impossible to go to Thailand ... Because when you are not through the language, you are not familiar with your life, how can the tour guide arrange you, you really can only listen to him"
The Thai media has focused on China's zero group tourism in recent months, and rebuked such tourists to force tourists to spend more money to pay for inferior products and services, which has the reputation of Thailand's tourism industry.The chairman of the Thai Travel Agency Association, Sidiwatch, believes that, compared to illegal travel agencies, the zero group fee tour group has a long -term impact on the reputation of Thailand's tourism industry and has a greater destructive power.
It is known that in order to save costs, some zero -toll travel agencies illegally hire Chinese tour guides to snatch the rice bowls of Thai tour guides.
Low -priced group operators often have formed a closed -loop industry chain. Visitors will only be taken to hotels, restaurants and shops that are brought to the "circle", which is not conducive to the development of the overall tourism industry.According to media reports, most of these "inside" consumption points are operated by Chinese operators.
Bangkok Post has recently quoted Thailand's Tourism Director Yusa, saying that Thailand's tourism industry has just recovered from the epidemic. Such a closed -loop tourism industry chain has not been reproduced for a long time.However, with the formation of such homework, even if Thailand's tourism income will not flow overseas, only a small part will flow into Thai industry pockets.
Therefore, Yusa believes that it is necessary to carefully supervise the zero group fee tour group.However, he admits that if these travel agencies are registered and are legally operated, it is difficult for officials to track or control.
Some Chinese tourists are willing to pay for high -quality tour groups
In order to ensure a happy travel experience, consumers must also do some "homework", which is compared with three.For example, Fu Wenqian, she is considering free travel and actively referring to the travel strategies of different social media to plan the schedule.
But Fu Wenqian bluntly said that she is still more inclined to participate in the right "pure play group" to reduce the time spent on the planning itinerary and to eliminate the concerns of language barriers.
She said: "In terms of choosing a tour group, I give priority to whether it is a pure play group to ensure that it is not forced to consume. This will attract me.The evaluation of this tour group and tour guide. I am also willing to spend a little more money to participate in a high -quality tour group. If it is only about 1,000 yuan more expensive than ordinary groups, I can accept it. "
Thailand Tourism Bureau and China jointly crack down on zero group fees
The reappearance of the zero group fee tour group has attracted the attention of the Thai government.Thailand's official plan to multi -pronged crackdown on zero group fees and prepare to sign a cooperation agreement with the Chinese government to solve this long -term problem.
As early as 2016, the Thai government has taken measures to strictly fight zero group fees, including the minimum charging system, that is, at least 1,000 baht per person per day.The cost of each self -selected tourism project must not exceed 3,000 baht to prevent excess charges.The Thai police said at the time that these measures made Thailand's 2017 tax income of about 10 billion baht over 2016.
The Thailand Tourism Department revealed in April this year that a list of legal travel agencies has been formulated to list 189 legal Thai travel agencies that have cooperated with Chinese companies, and submitted to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese government.Travel agencies outside the list will face comprehensive review and must provide relevant certificates from the official business operation in order to be allowed to continue to provide tourism services.
The official also warns that any Chinese tourism operator operating a company in Thailand, a zero group fee, or a foreign tour guide will be prosecuted in accordance with Thai law.
Apicha, deputy director of the Thai Tourism Police Department, revealed that the official illegal tourist activity complaints have occurred in major tourist cities such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
He said that not only Chinese tourists, but also tourists from Eastern Europe and South America.
In terms of supervising the illegal business operated by Chinese agents, Thailand and China have also formulated extradition treaties and regularly communicate and coordinate with the Chinese police to monitor these activities.
Zero Tour Tour Tourism leads to money difficulty to earn Thai tourism operators to open up new customers
The erosion of the zero group fee tourism group, coupled with Chinese passengers have not yet fully returned, forced Thai tourism industry to turn business focus to the European market and open up new customers.
An industry who has operated a small travel agency in Chiang Mai, Thailand for more than 10 years. In an interview with Lianhe Morning Post, her travel agency usually arranges ride, ride, and watch Muay Thai competitions for passengers.Before the epidemic, travel agencies mainly received Chinese tourists, but because the number of Chinese tourists decreased sharply after the epidemic, the number of Chinese tourists was unstable, so it is now mainly receiving European tourists.
The industry who did not want to disclose his name said: "Since the restoration of outbound tourism in China, the demand for Chinese tourists has increased a bit, but it is far from before the epidemic.
She pointed out that most Chinese travelers who travel to the local area have signed up for tour groups in China or have their own travel plans.Today, Chinese passengers also pay more attention to cost -effectiveness, and spend less in tourism facilities than before the epidemic.
The reappearance of the zero group fee made her quite concerned, because this type of closed -loop operation only brought tourists to shops opened by the Chinese.If you take root in zero group fees, Thailand's small tourism industry may lose business opportunities.In order to survive, she now worked hard to recruit tourists from Europe, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and also developed more small tourism facilities to meet the needs of tourists.
Renjit, who served as a barista in a cafe in Chiang Mai, also complained about the zero group tourism.He told the US media: "The arrival of the zero group has always consumed our resources, but the economy here has not achieved corresponding growth."
Chan (Chan), who has operated travel presidents in Bangkok for 15 years, appealed during an interview with Lianhe Morning Post. Most of the consumption returns generated by zero group fees returned to the Chinese industry.Essence
Therefore, despite the rise in the number of Chinese tourists, Zhan still does not intend to turn its attention to Chinese tourists, but will continue to focus on business for tourists facing Europe, the United States and Australia.
The road of recovery in Thailand is rugged
The prospect of the recovery of Thailand's tourism industry faces multiple challenges, and the reappearance of zero group fees may further hinder the pace of recovery.
Dr. Pagon Gatchalee, a lecturer in the Marketing Department of the Business School of Chiang Mai University in Thailand, said in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao that the Thai government predicts that this year can usher in 28 million people inbound passengers. However, there are several risk factors that may crack down on this.Target.
Paton said: "This includes turbulence after the election, errors and rumors about the dangerous travel in Thailand, and tourists feel that Thailand's travel consumption has risen ... The reappearance of zero group fees is also one of the main factor."
Patgun analysis, the number of flights between China and Thailand has not yet returned to the pre -epidemic level, and the cost structure of the tourism industry is still high. During the epidemic period, some closed -loop industries have closed down.The current pace, "It is a good time for the government to take action to control zero group fees" to curb the return of zero group fees to return.
He said: "The government should increase its efforts to crack down on illegal investment and illegal merchants in Thailand. This not only has a reappearance of zero group fees, but also has an impact on the image and living safety of Thailand's tourism industry." However, zero group fees are not just low -cost groups, but also some "fake high -quality tour groups" charging high group fees. They are also closed -loop industry chains controlled by Chinese operators.Paton called on the government to pay more attention to this phenomenon, "because this has a great blow to Thailand's tourism industry, especially small travel agencies."
In the long run, Patgun also believes that it is difficult to attract young passengers to Thailand to play in Thailand because the consumption habits of Chinese tourists are quietly changing.
Patgun said that since 2017, Chinese free tourists traveling to Thailand have begun to increase.This is mainly due to various sequelae caused by zero group fees, especially security concerns, as well as the younger generation is more good at collecting materials and preferred tourism routes."Most of these young generations are willing to pay more fees to get things they think are worthy. Zero group fees are not in line with this orientation."
