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SAMUI ISLAND, Thailand, June 25 (Xinhua)-- The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Saturday held a "White Romance Beach Party" for 51 Chinese honeymoon couples in Thailand's southern province Surat Thai, in a bid to attract more Chinese honeymooners.
Runjuan Tongrut, Director of TAT's East Asian Region said, this is part of activities under the "honeymoon campaign in Thailand", which is promoted by TAT's five offices in China in cooperation with Chinese travel agents who are offering luxury packages, costing around 16,000 to 40,000 yuan (2,450-6,120 U.S.dollars)per couple, to attract high-end tourists and raise awareness of Thailand as a honeymoon destination.
At the welcome reception, honeymooners dressed up in all white to match the theme of a beach party. They participated in a contest to share their photographs or videos via social media networks in China. The couple who won the highest number of "likes" received a prize of a fully hosted tour package and free round trip air tickets from China to Thailand. "The most popular couple" are voted by audiences and awarded a prize of two air tickets.
Held annually since 2014, the "honeymoon in Thailand" campaign has helped make Thailand the top outbound destination for Chinese travelers, particularly for weddings and honeymooners.
Thailand is one of the world's most popular wedding and honeymoon destinations, an acclaim that is backed by several awards and honors across the world.
Samui Island is the premier island destination in the gulf of Thailand, which is about 560 kilometers from Bangkok. It's the third largest island in Thailand which boats fabulous beach resorts, internationally acclaimed restaurants and world-class accommodation. It's also well known for its clear water and rich marine life, which makes it a so-called diving paradise.
The international wedding and honeymoon market in Thailand is valued at around 30 billion baht (850,000 million U.S. dollars) per year, or about three percent of the overall tourism revenue.
Chinese tourists, numbering about 7.9 million, contribute most revenue to Thailand's tourism. In the first quarter of 2016, Chinese visitors to Thailand totaled 3,445,501, up 27.35 percent over the same period of 2015. TAT estimated that Chinese tourists will total 19.5 million with an expected expenditure of 509 billion baht in 2016.
