Guizhou Province and the Kingdom of Thailand have taken significant steps toward strengthening bilateral tourism and cultural relations following the China (Guizhou)–Thailand Cultural and Tourism Business Meeting held in Bangkok on May 16.
The event brought together regional government officials, travel industry associations, and key stakeholders from both sides, culminating in a series of strategic agreements and collaborative initiatives aimed at fostering long-term cooperation and market integration.
The discussions centered on establishing a bilateral tourism alignment framework that would allow both regions to leverage their respective strengths.
As part of this initiative, Guizhou extended a formal invitation for Thailand to become a Global Partner of Colorful Guizhou, a campaign designed to promote the province’s distinct cultural and tourism assets on the global stage.
The proposed partnership underscores a shared vision for regional growth and mutual development.
To formalize the collaboration, the Guizhou Travel Association signed a memorandum of understanding with the Thailand Tourism Association.
Additionally, the Guizhou Travel Association Inbound Tourism Branch entered into a separate agreement with the Thai Travel Agents Association.
These accords outlined three key areas of focus: joint resource promotion, integrated tourism market development, and co-creation of tourism service offerings.
Both sides emphasized the importance of building a scalable and replicable model for international tourism collaboration that draws on comparative advantages in natural attractions, heritage, and service infrastructure.
Guizhou officials highlighted the province’s expanding tourism economy, supported by natural attractions such as the Huangguoshu Waterfall—one of Asia’s largest waterfalls—and a rich cultural heritage shaped by diverse ethnic communities.
Thai tour operators present at the meeting identified Huangguoshu as a high-potential destination for outbound Thai travelers and expressed interest in aligning with Guizhou’s existing tourism incentive programs to catalyze cross-border travel flows.
The meeting also served as a platform to explore broader regional integration. Guizhou is championing a new tourism corridor that links major destinations across southern China and Southeast Asia, including Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Guilin, Guiyang, Kunming, and Bangkok.
This corridor aims to foster deeper cultural exchange, facilitate visitor mobility, and elevate tourism standards across the region.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), represented by CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid, expressed strong interest in working with the Guizhou Provincial Government to elevate the region’s international profile.
PATA reaffirmed its commitment to increasing global awareness of Guizhou’s tourism offerings and attracting new visitor segments through its network.
As China and Thailand celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the Bangkok meeting reflects a broader effort to deepen bilateral ties beyond trade and investment, focusing on people-to-people connections and sustainable tourism development.
The agreements signed and the partnerships formed are expected to play a key role in advancing the shared objective of a more integrated and dynamic tourism ecosystem in the Asia-Pacific region.
Business News Asia