Chiang Mai, 26 January, 2018 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) today announced its support for the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Destination Marketing Forum 2018, to be held from 28 to 30 November, in Khon Kaen.
Mrs. Srisuda Wananpinyosak, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas), said TAT is pleased to provide full support to the event, as it reflects TAT’s ongoing efforts to promote Thai local experiences and drive income to local communities, all geared towards tourism sustainability.
Khon Kaen, located in Thailand’s Northeast Region, or Isan, is a primary gateway to the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). The province is known for its rich traditional Isan culture and history, where visitors can experience the lifestyle of the local people, enjoy delicious food, explore pre-historical artefacts and antiques, and learn about the famous Matmi silk production.
Mrs. Srisuda said: “All these impressive aspects of Khon Kaen make it the perfect venue to host this prestigious PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2018. Delegates attending this event can engage with local communities, an important part of unique Thai local experiences.
“This is in line with the TAT’s latest communication concept, ‘Open to the New Shades’, that encourages visitors to discover Thailand and its diversity in a new light: Thai Gastronomy; Arts and Crafts; Nature and Beaches; and Way of Life, which embodies ‘Thainess’.”
According to the PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2018 programme, the event will be held under the theme ‘Growth with Goals’. The Forum focuses on trends facing destination marketers around the world as they deal with ‘overtourism’ in some areas, and ‘undertourism’ in others. As tourists become ‘temporary locals’ no matter where they visit, and technology empowers them more than ever before destinations need to define what growth means to them and ensure that tourism is truly growing responsibly.
The three-day Forum will comprise a technical tour on the first day, followed by two days of speeches and presentations on various topics relating to destination marketing including the role of local experiences, managing the disconnection between destination organisation and communities, trans border marketing, fighting ‘undertourism’, and calculating the impact on destinations.
PATA is offering complimentary registration to all interested in attending.
Dr. Mario Hardy, PATA CEO, said: “PATA is a strong advocate on the issue of tourism dispersal to secondary and tertiary destinations, as it allows people to see the true authentic beauty of the country and its people, and at the same time provide an economic boost to local communities who greatly benefit from tourism.”
