China launched 20 new international air cargo routes in July, said the Air Cargo Branch of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP) on Tuesday.
As of July 31, a total of 137 new international freight routes were added this year, increasing the number of round-trip flights per week by 274, said the branch.
These new routes primarily lead to Asian and European countries, with 65 ones to Asia and 52 to Europe.
Cargo transported through the new routes primarily includes goods handled by cross-border e-commerce platforms, high-end manufacturing goods, electronic products, and auto parts.
China launches 20 new international air cargo routes in July
Rising fuel prices driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and energy market volatility are weighing on the tourism sector in Thailand by inflating airfares and squeezing operational margins for hotels and tour operators.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has lowered its forecast for the number of foreign tourists in 2026, expecting a decline of about 5 to 10 percent.
The Southeast Asian country received over 12.9 million foreign tourist arrivals as of May 17 this year, marking a 3.31-percent drop compared to a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said in late May that the drop in tourist arrivals is due to the Middle East conflict, which has resulted in higher fuel prices.
"Tourist arrivals are trending downward, partly because oil prices have become more volatile and increased, primarily influenced by the conflict in the Middle East. Furthermore, uncertainty surrounding the global economic outlook has further exacerbated the situation," said Thitinan Chankoson, associate professor at the Business Administration for Society under Srinakharinwirot University.
The Thai Travel Agents Association said that rising international oil prices have kept pushing airfares upward. Coupled with fluctuations in the Thai baht exchange rate, this is placing heavy pressure on the country's tourism sector.
Thai Airways International announced last month that it would cancel 46 international flight routes. It said in June that it would further cut 10 international routes.
Thai AirAsia also announced that it would cut approximately 30 percent of its flights between May and June.
The impact of rising fuel prices is gradually spreading beyond aviation and into the broader tourism industry chain. According to statistics released by the Thai Hotels Association last month, hotel occupancy rates in the popular tourist city of Pattaya were only 20 to 30 percent of that in April, compared to 70 to 80 percent in the same period of last year.
"In the transportation sector, whether it's bus and ship fares or airfares, we have seen increases of 40 percent or even more. Tourism services, restaurants, and various transportation-related businesses have all been significantly impacted by this change," said a manager of a Thai travel agency.
Thai tourism under cost pressure
