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ASIA
REGION
31
“Thainess” – the Charm of Thai Culture
The Tourism Authority of Thailand promotes unique Thai products… and sustainability
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is a government agency with the objective
of promoting tourism to the country on the basis of sustainable tourism, in line with
maintaining the unique Thai identity and meeting international standards in order to
achieve an economic, social and environmental balance. We asked Suraphon Svetasreni,
Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, what key factors are influencing the
success of this destination today?
Suraphon
Svetasreni
Governor of the Tourism
Authority of Thailand
The marketing
landscape is
changing all
the time, and
in my point
of view, any
destination that
can maintain
sustainable
development
will survive
and hopefully
thrive. In the
past, we focused
on tourism
development
only for
maximizing economic
returns. In recent years, we
have put more emphasis
on balancing the three
factors of the economy,
environment and society
so as to create sustainable
tourism.
In your role, what are
your key priorities moving
forward?
As TAT is a marketing
Number of Arrivals to Thailand
by Nationality January - December 2012
organisation to promote the
tourism industry, then in
my role, I have to promote
TAT to be a marketing
organization of excellence
with human resources
who are able to adapt
their ability to changing
environment conditions.
We have to be able to be a
good coordinator between
the government agencies
and private sector.
In addition, we have also
implemented marketing
strategy tools, what I call
the DISCO blueprint.
D: is for Digital Marketing:
TAT has been using digital
marketing to promote Thai
tourism for many years, and
we will continue to tap into
a wider pool of travellers
through social networks,
online games, and mobile
applications.
I : is Image Building:
TAT will continue to
reinforce the essence
of the Thailand brand
Chon Buri Pattaya Floating Market
2012 2011 %∆
Nationality Number %Share Number %Share 2012/2011
China 2,789,345 12.51 1,721,247 8.95 62.05
Malaysia 2,560,963 11.48 2,500,280 13.00 2.43
Japan 1,371,253 6.15 1,127,893 5.87 21.58
Russia 1,317,387 5.91 1,054,187 5.48 24.97
Korea 1,169,131 5.24 1,006,283 5.23 16.18
India 1,015,865 4.55 914,971 4.76 11.03
Indonesia 448,748 2.01 370,795 1.93 21.02
Source of Data: Immigration Bureau, Police Department.
Thailand also has
its own unique
culture of “Thainess”
that makes the country
different from other
destinations
image, “Amazing Thailand:
Always Amazes You”, with
a focus on Authenticity,
Value for Money, and
Hospitality. According to
the FutureBrand Country
Brand Index 2012-13 (CBI),
Thailand has consistently
performed well for the Top
list of Value for Money as
well as perceived as eighth
of the Top 25 tourism,
tenth for Food, eleventh for
Shopping, tenth for Beach,
and ninth for nightlife in the
world-class brand.
S : is Sustainablility:
Travellers are increasingly
aware of the environmental
impact of their own travel
plans with a growing
number willing to pay more
for “green” options. TAT has
long promoted sustainable
tourism through the concept
of the Seven Greens, which
encourages Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR)
among operators. We
have collaborated with
various partners to identify
interesting options for ecofriendly
travel; such as, the
Green Hotels, the Green
Islands of Ko Chang, and
newer environmentallyfriendly
tourism products.
C: is Crystallization & Crisis
Management: Through
a combination of digital
media tools and traditional
channels, TAT is able to
communicate accurate
information that tourists
need when a crisis situation
occurs. Planning for such
contingencies is becoming
increasingly important
in these days of constant
change and unpredictable
events.
O : is Organizational
Management: This is
designed to boost internal
organizational efficiency by
making TAT a true learning
organization in which TAT
staff are presented with
opportunities to undergo
core competency training
to further sharpen their
marketing skills and
individual capabilities.
All in all, what differentiates
Thailand as a destination?
Apart from the variety of
tourism resources, Thailand
also has its own unique
culture of “Thainess” that
makes the country different
from other destinations.
The charm of Thainess
also includes Thai food
and the hospitality of the
Thai people that always
impresses travellers to the
country. The good value
for money that the country
offers is also an important
factor for tourists when they
choose us.
Hall 26 B
ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 6 th March 2013