From the ancient capital of Thailand and the cradle of Thai civilization to the ancient capital of China`s first emperor…
From the ancient capital of Thailand and the cradle of Thai civilization to the ancient capital of China`s first emperor, the tourist hordes will soon come marching.
Or this is what Thailand hopes for, after signing a deal today twinning Sukhothai in the country`s northern region with Xian City in China, in a bid to create a tourism link between the two world heritage cities.
Speaking after the agreement was signed between the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Xian Tourism Authority, Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Thepsuthin expressed hope that the twin town arrangement would boost Thailand`s influx of China`s tourists by one million a year.
Under the deal, which will also emphasise trade and investment links, leading Thai and Xian tour companies will offer packages taking in Sukhothai, Xian and Bangkok, with Bangkok Airways offering a weekly flight.
Xian is already a popular destination among Thai tourists, but Thailand gets only around 5,000 visitors from Xian each year, a figure which Thailand hopes to increase to 300,000.
Today also saw the signing of an agreement between tour companies from Thailand and the Chinese city of Chengdu, in a bid to boost mutual tourism.
The governor of China`s Shanxi Province, who also witnessed today`s signing, voiced optimism that the twin town deal would serve to cement Sino-Thai relations, as well as lead to economic, trade and investment cooperation.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
