On 21 January 2016, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping met with the Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand H.E. Mme. Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul on the sideline of ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Manila.
During the bilateral meeting, Secretary-General Yang expressed her sincere thanks to the Minister for her high appreciation of ACC’s work in the midst of the 19th ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting. She also congratulated Thailand's successful coordinatorship for ASEAN-China relations throughout 2013 to 2015. She said that with adequate tourism infrastructure and rich resources in culture, Thailand had been enjoying a large influx of foreign visitors every year. ACC was committed to furthering cooperation and exchanges in the area of tourism, culture and youth between China and Thailand, with the continued support of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Minister Kobkarn said that the tourism industry of Thailand and China had maintained good cooperation as family members. As one of the first countries to open up to Chinese travelers, Thailand was a popular tourism destination among Chinese tourists. For further exploring the Chinese market, Thailand was willing to hear more suggestions from international organizations such as ACC, in order to upgrade the level of service of tourism professionals and attract more travelers to visit Thailand.