The Tourism Authority of Thailand will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of its founding on 18 March 2010 with a Golden Jubilee Media Mega Fam Trip that will bring together distinguished travel journalists in Thailand and worldwide. The journalists will be taken to visit the country’s five geographical regions and 10 main tourism products of each region.
During this special event, the TAT will also be holding a product seminar, tentatively titled “Thailand; Today’s Trends, Tomorrow’s Tourism” on 23 March 2010 from 8.30 -12.00 hrs at the Convention Centre Building, 4th Floor, Rama Gardens Hotel. This seminar has been designed to provide the media with in-depth information on Thailand’s current and potential tourism products.
About 400 participants are expected to attend, with the travel journalists being joined by many distinguished personalities from the Thai tourism industry. It will be conducted in English with simultaneous translation in Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Russian.
Following a welcome speech by Minister of Tourism and Sports, H.E. Mr. Chumpol Silapa-archa, the seminar will be divided into 4 sessions, with the following speakers:
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Health and Wellness: Dr. Zadok S. Lempert, Medico Management & Travel Services Co., Ltd. |
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Community-Based Tourism: Mr. Peter Richards, Thailand Community-Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I) |
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Luxury Products: Mr. Sonu Shivdasani, Six Senses Resort and Spa |
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Experiential Tourism: Ms. Christin Grothaus and Mr. Michael Biedassek, Bangkok Vanguards |
In the afternoon, TAT will provide optional tours for media to visit Arts of the Kingdom at Anantasamakom Thorne Hall and Vimanmek Mansion (the world’s largest teakwood mansion). In the evening, the TAT 50th Anniversary reception dinner will be held at Ladawan Palace, Nakhon Ratchasima Road.
TAT Governor, Mr. Suraphon Svetasreni said, “Through the past 50 years, the TAT has worked hard to enhance the prosperity of Thailand’s tourism industry. Today, Thailand remains one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, well-regarded for the quality and variety of its tourist attractions, a premier shopping venue and value-for-money products and services.
Visitor arrivals have grown from only 81,000 visitors in 1960 to 14 million in 2009. This year, TAT is expecting 15 to 15.5 million arrivals, with a target expenditure of 12.7 billion Euros.
Mr. Suraphon said, “Tourism today plays a major role in Thailand’s socio-economic development. Billions of dollars worth of investment have poured into the industry which employs about three million people in direct and indirect jobs nationwide. Tourism revenue is still a major source of foreign exchange income compared with the overall income from the export of goods and services.”
He added, “The spectacular growth in tourism has contributed to the sustainable development of numerous communities and tourism attractions nationwide. It has spurred domestic tourism, the revival of traditional festivals and given rise to countless tourism-related activities.”
Thailand began officially promoting both inbound travel and domestic tourism with the establishment of the Tourism Organization of Thailand (TOT) as an independent agency within the Royal Thai Government on 18 March 1960. One of TOT’s founding objectives was to inform Thai people of the potential importance of tourism to the nation. The national tourism organization was renamed the Tourism Authority of Thailand in 1979, and has been instrumental in putting Thailand on the world tourism map.
Tourism success has brought Thailand much international recognition and worldwide fame. The Thai tourism industry overall and individual tourism operators win major international awards every year. Thailand is consistently ranked among the world’s leading travel and tourism destinations in international surveys.
The existence of both the TAT and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reflects the very significant role tourism has come to play in the country’s national, economic and social development.
However, new challenges are emerging as the TAT charts its future course.
According to Mr. Suraphon, “If the first 50 years of tourism development were focussed largely on maximising the economic returns, the next 50 years will require an equivalent focus on minimising the ecological impact.”
He noted that there are numerous activities, projects and policies in place to ensure a sustainable environment for travel and tourism.
Recently, TAT together with Thailand Ecotourism and Adventure Tourism Association and Go Magazine launched “Green Heart Project”. It’s aim to make young Thai people more aware of sustainable tourism by arranging learning activities focussing on environmental protection, corporate social responsibility and His Majesty the King’s sufficiency economy.
About 80 teenagers undergoing their first or second year of university education are expected to participate in this project. The first group will be arranged during 26-29 March and the second group during 20-22 August 2010.
Contact information:
International Public Relations Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419
E-mail: prdiv3@tat.or.th
Web site: www.tatnews.org |
