ChinesetouristsposeforagroupphotoatAncientSiaminSamutPrakan,Thailand,March1,2024.InlateJanuary,ChinaandThailandsignedanagreementonmutualvisaexemptionandtobeeffectiveonMarch1.(Xinhua/WangTeng)TAIYUAN,March18(Xinhua)--JustafterbiddingfarewelltoagroupofThaiteachersvisitinguniversitiesinBeijing,tourguideYangYaoyurushedtoShanxiProvinceinnorthChinatogreetanothergroupofThaivisitors.TheseasonedThai-speakingtourguidecanattesttoarecentsurgeinenthusiasmamongThaitouriststowardsChina,afteramutualvisaexemptionagreementbetweenthetwocountriestookeffectonMarch1."Previously,thepeakofThaitouriststoChinawasinAprilafterSongkranfestival.However,myscheduleisnowfullybookedfromMarch3untiltheendofApril,"Yangsaid.PorntipRojansunan,togetherwiththeother20Thaivisitorsinhergroup,isabeneficiaryofthevisawaiver.AfterflyingdirectlyfromBangkoktoTaiyuan,capitalofShanxi,onMarch9,thegroupcommencedtheirfive-daytripbyvisitingthreeUNESCOWorldHeritagesitesintheprovince,namely,MountWutai,YungangGrottoes,andtheancientcityofPingyao."Before,IwasonlyfamiliarwithChinesedestinationslikeBeijingandShanghai.SincecomingtoShanxi,ImustsayhowimpressedIambytheprofoundhistoryandrichculturehere.IwillundoubtedlyencouragemyfriendsandrelativestocometoexperiencethecharmofShanxithemselves,"Porntipsaid.Thevisa-freepolicyhasboostedculturalexchangesbetweentheChineseandThaipeople,andmoreandmoreThaitouristsareconsideringChinaastheirfirstchoicedestinationforoverseastravel.DatafromChina'smajoronlinetravelagencyTrip.comshowedthatonMarch1,thenumberofChinesetouriststoThailandincreasedbymorethan30percentyearonyear,whiletravelordersfromThailandtoChinasurgedbythreefoldyearonyear,anincreaseofmorethan160percentcomparedwith2019.ChinaandThailandareimportanttouristdestinationsandsourcesforeachother,andtheimplementationofthemutualvisaexemptionholdssignificantlypositiveimplicationsforthegrowthofthetourismsectorsinbothnations,saidQinJing,vicepresidentofTrip.comGroup.TheChinesesidecanprovideThaitouristswithmorepersonalizedoptionsspanningculture,folkcustom,andsnow-and-iceactivities,amongothers,Qinadded.Chinaispersistentinitsfacilitationofentryforforeignnationals,promisingtomakeitselfapreferreddestinationforinternationaltravelers.SincethemutualvisaexemptionpolicybetweenChinaandThailandcameintoeffect,thenumberofcountriesthathavesuchentrypolicywithChinahasincreasedto23,includingSingapore,theMaldives,andtheUnitedArabEmirates.Inaddition,Chinahasadoptedavisa-freepolicyforSwitzerland,Ireland,Hungary,Austria,BelgiumandLuxembourgonatrialbasis,startingMarch14.Thisseriesofmeasuresisregardedbyindustryinsidersasapositivesignalthatisconducivetopromotingglobaleconomyandtradeandacceleratingpersonnelexchanges."TherecentlyconcludedsessionsofChina'stoplegislatureandtoppoliticaladvisorybody,orthe'twosessions,'alsomentionedthatthecountrywillfacilitateforeignnationalstowork,study,andtravelwithinChina.ThisindicatesthatthefundamentalsofChina'sunwaveringcommitmenttoopeningupremainconstant,"saidZhangWei,secretarygeneraloftheinboundtourismbranchofChinaAssociationofTravelServices.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.