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India Welcomes over 1,000 delegates to PATA Travel Mart 2023

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India Welcomes over 1,000 delegates to PATA Travel Mart 2023 - TRAVELINDEXNew Delhi, India, October 6, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / PATA Travel Mart 2023 (PTM 2023), generously hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, has attracted over 1000 delegates from 46 global destinations. The delegate numbers embraced 159 sellers from 92 organisations and 15 destinations, along with 196 buyers from 191 organisations and 38 source markets.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is also pleased to welcome over 350 local and international students and young tourism professionals. The students from 10 local and international universities are part of the PATA Youth Symposium to be held later today, Thursday, October 5. The Youth Symposium is organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India; the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, and Amity University Noida.

“The Ministry of Tourism for the Government of India has been one of our most valuable members and active partner for more than 60 years. Based on their commitment and enthusiasm in organsing PATA Travel Mart, we at PATA are excited to facilitate engagement between India and the rest of the world through this event,” said PATA Chair Peter Semone. “Even after a three-year hiatus in-person, PATA Travel Mart continues to provide unparalleled networking and contracting opportunities for our delegates from all over the world.”

PTM 2023 officially opened in New Delhi, India on Wednesday, October 4 with the PTM 2023 Inauguration Ceremony & Welcome Reception, presided by Sh. G Kishen Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Government of India, taking place at the Ashok Hotel.

Early in the day, delegates had the chance to gain insights into the dynamic landscape of global sustainability trends, shedding light on how responsible practices are shaping industries worldwide during the half-day PTM Forum, Moreover, the speakers also illuminated the vast opportunities that sustainability offers, driving economic growth, innovation and prosperity. Speakers included Aashish Gupta, Consulting CEO, FAITH; Supawan Teerarat, Senior Vice President, MICE Capability and Innovation, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); Jyothi Varma, Consultant for Travel Related Services Online And Offline; Noredah Othman, CEO, Sabah Tourism Board; Amaresh Tiwari, Vice Chairman, Indian Convention Promotion Bureau; Peter Richards, Project Manager, Tourlink SwitchAsia Programme; Prof. Monika Prakash, Nodal Officer, Central Nodal Agency – Sustainable Tourism; Alisara Sivayathorn, CEO, Sivatel Bangkok Hotel; Kanokwan Homcha-aim, Cluster Naturalist, Anantara Layan Phuket Resort; Prof. Veena Sikri, Convenor, South Asia Women’s Network; Shradha Shrestha, Manager, Tourism Branding, Marketing & Promotion- Nepal Tourism Board; Rupesh Kumar, Coordinator, Responsible Tourism Mission Kerala; Dr Manoj Kumar Singh, Nodal Officer, Responsible Tourism Madhya Pradesh; Dr. Shikha Jain, Founder Director, DRONAH; Sachin Bansal, Founders – India City Walks; R B Santosh Kumar, Vice President & Head Government Engagement, South Asia, Mastercard; Rajeev Jain, Founder and Managing Director, Rashi Entertainment; Tara Naidu, Chief of Commercial, Air India Express; Santosh Kumar, Country Head – Indian sub-continent & Indonesia, Booking.com; Wipawadee Niyomthai, Senior Manager, TCEB; Bharat Nagpal, Enterprise Sales Director, ADARA, Inc., and Sriram Gopalswamy, Vice President, Site Reliability Engineering & MD, Sabre Bengaluru.

Topics included ‘Where Responsibility Meets Opportunity’, ‘Driving Change: Sustainability in MICE Tourism’, ‘Increasing Sustainability in the Tourism Supply Chain Through Standards and Certification’, ‘Waste Management in Tourism: The Challenges and Best Practices Towards Food and Plastic Waste Reduction’, ‘Bridging the Gender Gap for Community Empowerment and Sustainability’, ‘Preservation of Cultural Heritage Sites: Leveraging the Benefits of Responsible Tourism’, ‘Travel Industry Trends’, ‘Weddings & Wanderlust: The Statistics of Indian Wedding Industry, What Next’, ‘Examining Aviation’s Path in India and its Impact on Travel and Tourism’, ‘How India Travels’, and ‘AI and the Future of Tourism’.

During the Travel Mart on October 5 and 6, buyers and sellers will have the opportunity to engage in one-on-one networking and contracting opportunities to explore potential collaborations and business opportunities.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, which includes government, state and city tourism bodies; international airlines and airports; hospitality organisations, and educational institutions, as well as thousands of young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism of the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 32 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 28 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has an official office in Beijing. Visit www.PATA.org.

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First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

More than 1.6MN Tourism Jobs to Be Created in India

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More than 1.6MN Tourism Jobs to Be Created in India - TRAVELINDEXGoa, India, July 1, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) today reveals India’s Travel & Tourism sector is in strong recovery and will be within touching distance of the pre-pandemic peak this year.

Speaking today to Ministers at the G20 Summit in India, Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, highlighted the sector’s resilience, growing at twice the rate of GDP not only in India, but across all G20 nations.

WTTC research forecasts Travel & Tourism contributing INR 16.5TN to the Indian economy this year, just 3.5% below 2019.

The sector is forecast to create over 1.6MN more jobs this year, recovering almost all of the jobs lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic to reach almost 39MN, with around one in 13 workers in India in the Travel & Tourism sector.

International visitor spend in India is forecast to reach more than INR 2TN with domestic visitor spend forecast to reach more than INR 12.6TN.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “The G20 Presidency provides India with the opportunity to highlight the economic and social value of Travel & Tourism, at a critical moment for the global economy.

“Minister Reddy has shown great leadership, rallying the G20 Ministers under the Goa Roadmap, showing the world that Travel & Tourism boosts economies whilst meeting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Travel & Tourism creates great job opportunities, providing exciting career opportunities for young people to be part of sustainable tourism under Travel for Life. WTTC has brought a panel of private sector leaders to the G20 to talk candidly about the opportunities and challenges facing the sector.

“Growth will be double GDP, but we need governments to focus on reliable energy and sustainable aviation fuel production”.

A look back on last year

Last year, the sector’s GDP contribution grew by almost 90% to reach more than INR 15.6TN, representing 5.9% of the economy, edging closer to the 2019 high of 7% of the economy.

The sector also created 14.6MN more jobs in 2022 to reach 37.2MN jobs nationally – one in 13 jobs across India.

Last year also saw a 125% increase in international visitor spending in India, reach more than INR 1.6TN.

Domestic visitor spend grew 86% last year to reach more than INR 12.3TN. It is now just 1% behind pre-pandemic levels.

What does the next decade look like?

The global tourism body is forecasting that the sector will grow its GDP contribution to INR 36.8TN by 2033, approximately 7% of the Indian economy and will employ over 58.2MN people across the country, with one in 10 working in the sector.

Asia-Pacific

In 2022, the Asia-Pacific Travel & Tourism sector contributed USD $1.6TN to the regional economy, but this is still 50% behind the 2019 peak. WTTC forecasts the region’s GDP contribution from the sector will reach more than USD $2.6TN in 2023 – just 16% below the 2019 highpoint.

The sector employed over 155MN people across the region in 2022, an increase of 8.7MN from the previous year but still 15% behind pre-pandemic levels. WTTC forecasts the sector will fully recover the jobs lost during the pandemic by the end of 2024.

Source

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

G20 Tourism Side Event Focuses on Rural Tourism with UNWTO

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G20 Tourism Side Event Focuses on Rural Tourism with UNWTO - TRAVELINDEXKhonoma Village, Nagaland, India, February 10, 2023 / TRAVELINDEX / The first meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group to be held under the Indian Presidency placed the focus on the sector’s role in in advancing the 2030 Agenda.

UNWTO is working as the knowledge partner to the Presidency to deliver the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a Vehicle for Achieving the SDGs. This week’s meeting, held in the Rann of Kutch (7-9 February), featured as well a side event dedicated to rural tourism for community development and poverty alleviation. Here, UNWTO shared its recently launched Tourism for Rural Development Programme, including the Best Tourism Villages Initiative.

The side event was an opportunity to highlight opportunities for rural tourism, including new consumer behaviors and growing interest in new destinations. The meeting also explored the main challenges facing the sector, particularly with regards to digital and non-digital infrastructure, the empowerment of local communities and skills development. The findings presented were the result of an analysis of more than 200 candidacies by villages from around the world to the Best Tourism Villages Initiative as well as UNWTO Member States priorities and policies.

Representatives from Indonesia, Spain, Italy and Japan joined UNWTO, the UN Environmental Program, the International Labor Organization and the South Asia Women’s Network (SWAN) in discussing how can tourism policy can support tourism’s contribution to rural development. Participants stressed that the sustainability of tourism in rural areas is dependent on a comprehensive planning strategy is adopted and implemented based on a multi-action and multi-stakeholder participatory approach. Furthermore, it was noted that rural tourism requires the support of regional and local governments, the private sector, industry associations, civil society, communities and tourists.

In 2021, recognizing the immense potential of rural tourism in the country, the Ministry of Tourism of India formulated a National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism. Reflecting this, the event included also rural tourism cases from India, including examples from Astro-tourism, homestays and women empowerment as well as the Indian village selected by UNWTO to join the Best Tourism Villages Upgrade Programme – the Khonoma Village in Nagaland.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

India’s Tourism Could Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels by End of 2022

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India's Tourism Could Surpass Pre-Pandemic Levels by End of 2022 - TRAVELINDEXNew Delhi, India, June 2, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Travel and Tourism’s GDP expected to outpace India’s economy over the next 10 years. More than 2.4 million jobs could be created every year. Research conducted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has revealed the Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to the Indian economy could surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, with a year-on-year growth of 20.7%.

The forecast from the WTTC’s latest Economic Impact Report (EIR), shows the sector’s contribution to the nation’s economy could reach almost ₹15.9 trillion (U.S. $215 billion) in 2022, 1% above 2019 levels.

Employment levels are set to grow to almost 35 million Travel & Tourism jobs, with an 8.3% growth this year.

Over the next decade, India’s Travel & Tourism’s GDP is expected to grow at an average of 7.8% annually, compared to 6.7% of the India’s overall economy, to reach almost ₹33.8 trillion (U.S. $457 billion) – representing 7.2% of the total economy.

The forecast also reveals the sector is expected to create over 24 million jobs over the next decade, averaging more than 2.4 million new jobs every year.

Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: “After the pain suffered by India’s Travel & Tourism sector, the future looks bright with Travel & Tourism to and from India set to exceed 2019 levels.

“The outlook for the next decade is looking very positive with India accounting for one in five of all new Travel & Tourism jobs globally.”

Before the pandemic, India’s Travel & Tourism sector’s contribution to GDP was 7% (₹15.7 trillion, U.S. $212 billion) in 2019, falling to just 4.3% (₹9.2 trillion, U.S. $124 billion) in 2020, which represented a shocking 41.7% loss.

The sector also supported more than 40 million jobs in 2019, falling to just over 29 million in 2020, when the pandemic devastated the sector.

Following the significant decline in 2020, the global tourism body’s latest EIR report reveals that 2021 saw the beginning of the recovery for the country’s Travel & Tourism sector.

Last year, its contribution to GDP climbed 43.6% year on year, to reach ₹13.2 trillion (U.S $178 billion).

While the sector also saw a recovery of just under three million Travel & Tourism jobs, representing a positive rise of 10.2% to more than 32 million, this is still eight million fewer jobs than in 2019.

The sector’s contribution to the economy and employment could have been higher if it were not for the impact of the Omicron variant, which led to the recovery faltering around the world, with many countries reinstating severe travel restrictions.

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Corporate Travel Showing Strong Signs of Recovery

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Corporate Travel Showing Strong Signs of Recovery - TRAVELINDEXDelhi, India, April 9, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Corporate travel is showing strong signs of recovery, according to Madhavan Menon, Managing Director Thomas Cook (India) Group, who was the first speaker in Sabre’s new virtual insights series.

Speaking as part of the Sabre Ascent series, Mr Menon said that for the month of March 2022, Thomas Cook (India) is seeing a domestic corporate travel recovery of around 70% of pre-pandemic levels, with international corporate travel starting to follow the same trajectory.

His comments mirror latest figures released by Sabre in its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which providing updated recovery figures for the period of March 1 to 28 compared to the same period in 2019. The Sabre filing said: “While domestic and leisure bookings have continued to lead the recovery, international and corporate bookings have improved at an accelerating rate since January 2022. We expect the March 2022 recovery versus the same period for both international and corporate bookings to be at their highest levels since the pandemic started.”

During the first ever Sabre Ascent session, Mr Menon also told Jaya Kumar K, Vice President and Managing Director, Sabre Bengaluru GCC that he expects technology to play a “far greater role” in corporate travel as business travellers expect increased, targeted information to help them navigate travel in a COVID-19 world as well as a much more personalized approach.

Mr Menon said that Sabre is “leading this crusade of evolving technology in the travel industry, and that is not something which should be underestimated” because his company would not have made so much progress without global distribution technology.

The webinar also addressed the challenges and opportunities brought about by the pandemic as well as the evolution of domestic tourism, new trends in personalization, whether sustainability is top of mind moving through the pandemic, and the evolving demands of travellers in this new age of travel.

Looking back at the pandemic, Mr Menon said: “What was initially seen as a challenge actually turned out to be an opportunity. I don’t think any of us had faced a challenge of this kind, but there was a realization you’re not alone and everybody is facing the same problem. The last two years has given us the opportunity to re-set.”

He said that Thomas Cook (India) had re-sized out of necessity, carried out back-end integration, and upgraded its technology to create a more customer-centric focus. “This journey we are taking at Thomas Cook is moving from telling the customer what he or she should do on his holiday to the point where the customer chooses how he or she wants to go on holiday and how they want to interact with us,” he added. “The experience and access to information should be the same no matter how a customer comes to us.”

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

International Visitor Arrival Numbers to Increase Across Asia Pacific in 2022

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International Visitor Arrival Numbers to Increase Across Asia Pacific in 2022

Bangkok, Thailand, February 17, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Following on from the release of the Executive Summary at the end of last month, the PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2022-2024 Full Report released today by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) predicts annual changes in international visitor arrivals (IVAs) across the region to turn positive versus 2021 IVAs under each of the mild, medium, and severe scenarios in 2022, with growth rates ranging between 126% and 84%.

The increase in the absolute number of international visitor arrivals is predicted therefore to range from 72.5 million to 175.7 million under the severe and mild scenarios respectively, lifting the total volume of visitor arrivals to between 159 million and 315 million, under those same scenarios respectively.

While it is a positive and welcome development after two years of extremely difficult conditions, the international travel and tourism sector of the Asia Pacific region still has much to repair and revitalise. The forecasted increases in inbound visitor numbers in 2022, for example, still only return them to 23-45% of the level of foreign arrivals received in pre-pandemic 2019.

Moving forward to 2024, IVA growth over the next three years is projected to be positive, with the volume of IVAs in 2024 being equal to, or better than that of 2019, under two of the three scenarios.

As noted by PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera, “Our latest forecast report numbers, based on data current as of November 2021 reviewed in conjunction with our recent research advisory panel updates provided on Jan 24, 2021 provide the definitive outlook for Asia Pacific visitor arrival forecasts. As noted by our panel, the effect of the Omicron variant is projected to have a small incremental impact for now with the key earlier assumptions still driving the forecast.”

“Equitable access and deployment of vaccines plus a practical risk-based approach to health and safety protocols in travel is foundational to not only the travel sector’s sustained recovery but to the overall global recovery from the pandemic. We share the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) view that the pharmaceutical sector must address barriers to access and affordability for all destinations. Furthermore, as acknowledged by the WHO, travel bans will not prevent international spread. Instead, travel channels should remain open with clear, practical guidelines as recently shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO.”

“Destinations across Asia Pacific have been highly focussed on implementing health and safety measures. In parallel, various research studies and early travel patterns indicate a heightened consumer interest in a pivot to the right side of travel – longer journeys, more authentic experiences, and nature-based, wellness-oriented, and socially-conscious travel offerings are amongst the key trends for today’s travellers.

Destinations can expedite their recovery by staying top-of-mind with consumers, communicating requirements with clarity and consistency, and offering a sustainable, healthy destination experience,” added Ms Ortiguera.

The PATA Asia Pacific Visitor Forecasts 2022-2024 Full Report is now available at www.pata.org/research-q1v63g6n2dw/p/asia-pacific-visitor-forecasts-2022-2024-full-report.

What you will learn from this report:

– International visitor arrival forecasts for Asia Pacific between 2022 and 2024 by destination region, sub-region, and destination, highlighting changing demand preferences in the face of policy changes.
– Forecasts for 39 individual destinations by scenario allowing for the development of better recovery strategies for the post-COVID-19.
– Forecasts of travel demand from key source regions into each of 39 individual Asia Pacific destinations by scenario and by quarter and year.

PATA International members have exclusive access to the recording of the “PATA Visitor Forecasts 2022 to 2024’ webinar which included expert speakers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Euromonitor International, and TCI Research. The speakers provided an overview of the forecasts for international arrivals to Asia Pacific between 2020 and 2024 as well as insights and analysis on Asia Pacific travel-related sentiment and consumer trends.

About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for-profit membership association that acts as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, which including government, state and city tourism bodies; international airlines and airports; hospitality organisations, and educational institutions, as well as thousands of young tourism professional (YTP) members across the world. The PATA network also embraces the grassroots activism the PATA Chapters and Student Chapters, who organise numerous travel industry training programmes and business development events across the world. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 32 local PATA Chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are members of the 28 PATA Student Chapters globally. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing and London.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Amazing Tourism Transformation During Visit Thailand Year 2022

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Amazing Tourism Transformation During Visit Thailand Year 2022 - VISITTHAILAND.net - TRAVELINDEXBangkok, Thailand, February 15, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The Tourism Authority of Thailand is moving forward with its goal to revitalise and transform Thai tourism, with the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign, and formulating a DASH model to help revive the tourism sector and the Thai economy overall.

The Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters campaign was initially introduced globally at the World Travel Market in London, in line with the country’s quarantine-free reopening to international travellers from 1 November, 2021.

Discover secondary destinations in amazing Thailand during the Visit Thailand Year 2022 – Amazing Chapters

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “With the Visit Thailand Year 2022: Amazing New Chapters, TAT envisions change towards stronger and sustainable, more responsible, more digital, and more inclusive tourism growth, by leveraging on Thailand’s 5F, 4M soft-power foundations, which are Food, Film, Fashion, Festival, Fight, Music, Museum, Master, And Meta. To achieve this, TAT has formulated a ‘DASH’ model to set the entire organisation towards the single goal of transforming the tourism sector.”

D – Domestic travel: The model places emphasis on both tourists and operators in the tourism industry;

A – Accelerate Demand: The model seeks to stimulate qualitative demand, build trust, and a good image by placing focus on tourists’ safety, targeting high-income segments, and delivering impressively different and valuable experiences;

S – Shape Supply: The model looks set to elevate the tourism ecosystem to quality and sustainability based on responsible tourism and digital tourism for all parties to benefit together, and resulting in sustainable income distribution to each sector;

H – Healing Thai Economy: The model focuses on helping to revive the Thai economy through tourism with the country’s reopening to ensure a fast recovery and strong, sustainable growth.

Mr. Yuthasak said, “With the DASH model in place, TAT is placing greater emphasis on domestic tourism. For international tourism, TAT is introducing a new ‘Amazing Thailand Workplace Paradise’ project, with the aim to make Thailand the World’s No. 1 Remote Workers Friendly Destination.”

The Amazing Thailand Workplace Paradise project will focus on remote workers from long-haul international markets, in response to a growing trend in light of the COVID-19 pandemic whereby people work remotely and enjoy a vacation.

For short-haul international markets, TAT will leverage on the TEST & GO entry scheme, highlighting ‘New Chapters, New Opportunity’ offerings. New segments will be targeted; such as; bleisure (business and leisure), students, digital nomads, and soft adventure. New areas will be set to attract quality segments from potential markets like Mongolia and South Korea (Busan), and to seek new partners in existing markets. New infrastructure will be promoted; such as, new transport routes – especially the high-speed rail linking Kunming and Lao PDR, which can connect to Thailand’s Nong Khai Province. New way will focus on inspiring millennials to experience Thailand in an environmentally-friendly and sustainable way.

Within the country, TAT will highlight a 3-Ex conceptExperience, Expectation, and Extraordinary – to inspire domestic travel with 3 ideas for tourism products and services; namely, Nature to Keep, Food to Explore, and Thainess to Discover with five colours representing the regions of Thailand.

Crimson for the Central Region – Chic Central; emerald for the Eastern Region – East at Ease; navy for the Northern Region – North Nostalgia; ivory for the Northeastern Region – Isan in Love, and silver for the Southern Region – Savoury South.

In line with the DASH model and tourism marketing strategies, TAT will place emphasis on creating innovative travel experiences for the targeted segments – workcation and staycation, wellness, sports, and responsible tourism. Aimed at both local and international tourists, there will be a plethora of tourism offerings designed in response to a growing trend, including astronomical tourism, water tourism, community tourism – highlighting a happy model for both the tourists and the communities, and culinary tourism – focusing on health and organic lifestyle.

Mr. Yuthasak said, “TAT will continue to communicate with both local and international tourists through the long-standing ‘Amazing Thailand’ branding. A dedicated campaign will be used for the local market to inspire domestic travel. For the international market, TAT will use the ‘Amazing New Chapters’ campaign to promote Thai cultural values, under the ‘from A to Z Amazing Thailand has it all’ concept to inspire travellers from around the world to once again visit Thailand.”

Discover secondary destinations in amazing Thailand during the Visit Thailand Year 2022 – Amazing Chapters

Last but not least, TAT will be elevating its innovation approach with a plan to introduce a TAT Amazing Influencer, using the virtual character technology to create a personalised experience in the Metaverse virtual world. TAT is also planning to promote Thai tourism through digital art with a TAT NFTs starting with local wisdom products. In addition, TAT will enhance marketing and digital knowledge by creating a hybrid work system allowing staff to work remotely effectively in line with the plan to promote Thailand as a remote workers friendly destination. To maintain TAT’s positioning as a high-performance organisation, emphasis will continue to be a place on the proper management of resources and waste both internally and externally.

With Thai tourism transformation under this year’s strategic plans, TAT expects to generate a total revenue of 1.28 trillion Baht with 656 billion Baht from the domestic market (160 million trips) and 625 billion Baht from the international market (10 million tourists). The average expenditure for domestic tourists is estimated at 4,100 Baht per person, and for foreign tourists at 62,580 Baht per person.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Blue by Alain Ducasse at ICONSIAM Wins Prestigious Global Award

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Blue by Alain Ducasse at ICONSIAM Wins Prestigious Global Award - TOP25RESTAURANTS.com - TRAVELINDEX

Bangkok, February 10, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Siam Piwat, the world’s leading retail property developer, owner and operator of world-class projects, and one of the joint owners of ICONSIAM, marked another milestone in Thailand’s retail history with Blue by Alain Ducasse, the Michelin-starred restaurant at ICONSIAM, winning the prestigious Le French Design 100 award. The awards that honor French designers for their work outside of France is another accolade on the list of international awards for Thailand, further bolstering its reputation on the global level.

Discover gastronomy destination ICONSIAM and Bangkok’s Best Fine Dining Restaurants at Top25Restaurants.com

– The award marks a spectacular success for ICONSIAM and Blue by Alain Ducasse, which has previously won one Michelin star for two consecutive years.
Le French Design 100 honors 100 international creations by French designers that earn France’s design industry global recognition.
– Siam Piwat has moved beyond local competition and won a world-class award on a global stage, reinforcing its leadership as the Visionary Icon and continuing to deliver experiences beyond expectation.

The award ceremony at France’s Presidential Palace was attended by the French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron, Minister of Culture Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, Hervé Lemoine, the head of the jury, and guest of honor Philippe Starck. At the ceremony, Jouin Manku, a leading French design agency, was honored with the Le French Design 100 award for its design for Blue By Alain Ducasse at ICONSIAM in Bangkok.

Ms. Chadatip Chutrakul, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Piwat Group and Director of ICONSIAM, said, “ICONSIAM is reinforcing its position as a destination where the best of Thailand and the best of the world converge, setting a new benchmark for the retail industry. We have made history and bolstered Thailand’s reputation by winning as many as 13 global awards across different categories. All of this is thanks to Siam Piwat’s vision and determination to inject creativity into every project and creating a perfect symphony of art, culture, and innovation through never-before-seen concepts and stories. In this endeavor, Siam Piwat has collaborated with world-renowned designers as well as Thailand’s leading designers and artists to set itself apart and consistently introduce new and extraordinary experiences to the industry.”

“We are beyond proud to have successfully earned Thailand global recognition for its real estate development capabilities. All of our projects, namely Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, and ICONSIAM, have won numerous global awards over the years. Blue by Alain Ducasse is another business born out of our key philosophy to deliver ‘experiences beyond expectation’. Our intention was to invite one of the world’s best-known chefs to open a restaurant here in Thailand to deliver a first-ever experience and bolster Thailand’s position as one of the world’s top gastronomic destinations. That is why Blue by Alain Ducasse is exclusive to Thailand. We worked closely with Alain Ducasse and Jouin Manku, the French design agency that meticulously oversaw every detail of the interior design to bring the ultimate dining experience and a unique aesthetic to life.”

A vital element of ICONSIAM, Blue by Alain Ducasse is Thailand’s first-ever world-class contemporary French restaurant by legendary Alain Ducasse recognized with an astounding 21 Michelin stars. Prominently positioned on the coveted Chao Phraya riverfront with unparalleled panoramic views, the restaurant has since its opening in 2019 become a prime destination for epicures and gastronomes. Ever since, it has delivered world-class French cuisine using the finest ingredients and has been awarded one Michelin star for two consecutive years. Blue By Alain Ducasse also won the ‘Best of the Year Award’ in the fine dining category from Interior Design magazine, the most influential authority in the design industry worldwide.

The Le French Design 100 award for Blue by Alain Ducasse recognizes the spectacularly meticulous interior design of the restaurant. A design that perfectly complements the majestic vistas of the Chao Phraya River, and reflects a design philosophy that understands the importance of design and ambience for a complete dining experience. The team at Jouin Manku have designed several of Alain Ducasse’s Michelin-starred restaurants in various countries, each time with great success. In Bangkok, Jouin Manku conjured a uniquely captivating space that melds Thai and French influences into a unique space. Walnut wood and brass lamps, which draw inspiration from the intimate gardens – the bosquets – of the Palace of Versailles lend a warmth to the front lounge next to the entrance foyer. An awe-inspiring handmade pleated chandelier dominates the main dining area. With luxurious royal blue walls echoing the restaurant’s name and expansive floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the river and city, Jouin Manku has created a magnificent stage for the contemporary French dishes and the superb wine list.

Le French Design 100 is the only design award in France that honors the international creations of French designers, and each year 100 objects and spatial design projects are selected for bringing global recognition to the French design industry. Launched in 2019, Le French Design 100 is supported by the French Ministry of Culture and sponsored by the illustrious designer Philippe Starck. The second edition was held in January 2022 under the patronage of the French President Emmanuel Macron.

Discover gastronomy destination ICONSIAM and Bangkok’s Best Fine Dining Restaurants at Top25Restaurants.com

The Le French Design 100 award that Jouin Manku has won for Blue by Alain Ducasse marks the first global accolade in 2022 for Siam Piwat and ICONSIAM and highlights their continued success in creating experiences beyond expectation. Over the years, ICONSIAM has garnered 13 global awards at various world-class competitions, including the Best Design of the Year at the World Retail Awards 2019 hosted by the World Retail Congress, the first prize in the Best Shopping Center category at the MAPIC Awards 2019 in Cannes, France, the 2020 VIVA Best-of-the-Best Design and Development Award, and being ranked in the top four in the Best Shopping Center Category at the MIPIM Awards 2021.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Thailand Yacht Show to Be Staged in Gulf of Thailand

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Thailand Yacht Show to Be Staged in Gulf of Thailand - TOP25 YACHTS - TRAVELINDEX

Pattaya, Thailand, February 8, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / The first part of the 6th edition of the government-initiated Thailand Yacht Show will be staged in the Gulf of Thailand, with the second part to follow in Phuket later in the year

TYS 2022 will be the first boat show to take place in Asia for over two years – a welcome event indeed, something that the whole industry has been eagerly looking forward to.

Sales of yachts and boats have skyrocketed in Asia during the pandemic, and Thailand is no exception, with the local market having at last woken up to the pleasure – and safety – of the boating lifestyle. People from Bangkok and other major cities have flocking to the easily accessible waters and islands around Pattaya in record numbers, and Thai dealers and distributors of the world’s best-known boating brands, as well as steadily increasing number of local boat builders, suppliers, and service companies, want to capitalize on this new market on the Eastern Seabord and the Thai Riviera.

The long-awaited 6th edition, postponed from January 2021, and all future annual editions, will take place in two venues at different times of the season. The Gulf of Thailand event in Pattaya will focus mainly on production yachts, with as many superyachts as are available in the area.

The Phuket event, which will take place in December at the beginning of the next high season, will similarly cover the whole industry, but will have a major focus on the fleet of foreign-owned superyachts that are expected to arrive from November to spend the winter chartering in Thailand in future – thanks to the new superyacht charter license.

The two shows between them will attract thousands of newly-interested boat buyers from Bangkok, and yacht charterers from all over the world when the pandemic finally passes, as well as the hundreds of businesses that make up the leisure boating industry community in Thailand and the region.

Since 2016, the Thailand Yacht Show has provided a professional platform for the world’s major boating brands, brokers, dealers, suppliers, and leisure marine service providers, as well as the luxury lifestyle products that complement the yachting world and the people who frequent it. Industry leaders can meet plenty of new buyers from the newly interested but so far uninitiated affluent lifestyle-seekers, and at the same time expand their business network in South East Asia.

The 2022 Pattaya edition is already showing all the signs of seeing significant numbers of qualified visitors coming for the weekend, particularly from Bangkok (who, by and large, haven’t wanted to travel to the various boat shows in Phuket in the past). Special features will include the re-furbished Ocean Marina Yacht Club, a diving exhibition, live sailing and boating experiences plus sea trials on high-quality charter yachts.

For brand visibility and credibility, exhibiting at the Thailand Yacht Show affords you and your business a unique opportunity. Whether you are looking to establish your presence in the region or expand your business in this rapidly-developing new market, TYS provides a powerful platform for meeting new customers, reaching out to your existing clientele, and helping you to build a more established and prominent business.

As well as the exceptional line-up of yachts – 22 have already been booked in and we are expecting over 50 – there will be many famous luxury products on display, as well as an extensive programme of family-friendly activities spanning the entire weekend. Visitors and exhibitors alike can look forward to live music, entertainment, a variety of water sports, helicopter rides, and diving instruction. We will be presenting new exhibitors and partners each week from now on, along with some important announcements about the development of the industry here.

The two-show format will make the Thailand Yacht Show bigger, more representative of the whole of the industry, and far more easily accessible to visitors from all over Thailand, as well as to exhibitors from all parts of the industry. Thailand is the natural destination for the Asian Yachting Lifestyle Community, and TYS is the long-term marketing platform for the region’s yachting industry. We invite you to be part of it.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News

Asia’s First Digital Art Debut at Thailand Digital Arts Festival

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Asia’s First Digital Art Debut at Thailand Digital Arts Festival - TRAVELINDEXBangkok, Thailand, February 5, 2022 / TRAVELINDEX / Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022 will mark Thailand’s and Asia’s first and largest digital art showcase that features over 1,300 art pieces from 130 celebrated Thai artists. The event is a joint force between Siam Piwat Co., Ltd, ICONSIAM Co., Ltd., Baandam Museum by the late national artist Thawan Duchanee and KASIKORN X, creator of Coral platform, a marketplace for Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) that offers opportunities in creating disruptive businesses and boundless opportunities for artists and collectors alike, Plan B Media Public Company Limited as media partner to showcase digital arts on Plan B’s digital screens countrywide and across Bangkok, together with over 130 renowned artists.

TDAF 2022 will be the world’s debut of art works by Thai National Artists, celebrated artists, up-and-coming talents as well as celebrities and influencers, through both physical and virtual art mediums.

This constitutes a new historic chapter of Thailand’s art history, with the largest number of artists participating and widest varieties of art forms. The exhibition, held from 5-20 March 2022 covers over 2,000 square metres of Charoen Nakhon Hall on the M Floor as well as the ICON Art and Culture Space on 8th Floor at ICONSIAM, the global landmark by the Chao Phara River. ICONSIAM is a symbol of a prosperity, from the greatest collaboration between experts in different fields, both Thai and international, that combines culture, innovation and technology to create a world-class architectural wonder that reflects the concepts of Co-creation and Creating Shared Values.

Joining the press conference were Vice Minister of Culture Mr. Poramet Ngampichet, Managing Director of ICONSIAM Mr. Supoj Chaiwatsirikul, Director of Baan Dam Museum of the late National Artist Thawan Duchanee Dr. Doytibet Duchanee, KASIKORN X Head of Venture Builder Mr. Thanamet Ariyawat, Siam Piwat’s Chief Customer Officer Division Mr. Panthep Nilasinthop. Plan B Media Public Company Limited’s Chief Business Development Officer and Chief Marketing & Partnership Officer, Ms. Phakwan Wongphontawee

At the press conference on Wednesday 2 February 2022 at Suralai Hall, 7 Floor, ICONSIAM, was a display of artworks by National Artists and acclaimed artists such as Prof Emeritus Preecha Thaothong, Panya Vijinthanasarn, Prof Thavorn Ko-Udomvit, Thongchai Srisukprasert, Jitsing Somboon; as well as renowned artists and up-and-coming artists namely Wasan Puengprasert, Prapakas Angsusingha, Lamphu Kansanoh, Chalermpol Janrayab and Traipuck Suphawattana. The artists also shared their perspectives on digital art on stage.

Mr. Poramet Ngampichet, Vice Minister, Ministry of Culture, said, “The Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022 (TDAF2022) provides a perfect opportunity for art and technology to merge as one, and to transform physical artworks into digital assets. This platform will help create greater opportunities for artists and art creators like never before, in this face-pacing digital world.

On behalf of the Ministry of Culture, I would like to express my appreciation to all parties who have joined hands to create these new opportunities and exposures for Thailand’s art circle into the digital sphere. This is a move that leverage and enhance our cultural heritage created by the hands of Thai people, and presenting it to the world. This proudly empowers Thai artists in the international levels.

Mr. Panthep Nilasinthop, Chief Customer Officer, Siam Piwat Co. Ltd., remarked on this significant collaboration between Siam Piwat and KASIKORN X through the Coral platform which create the new experience of digital art and promote Thai art on the international stage. “To Siam Piwat, as ‘The Visionary Icon’, we always bring novel and unprecedented experiences for all visitors. We see art as an inspiration to spark the creative powers. Siam Piwat values the Co-Creation with artists in various disciplines, and supports Thai artists and their creative work in various forms. We have worked with Thai and international artists to create inspirational work, and offers opportunities to the younger generation, as well as offers space in all of Siam Piwat’s properties to create and showcase creative works that create shared values.

As the world of art is heading into the digital world, the collaboration between Siam Piwat and KASIKORN X reflects a shared vision, that is to support Thai artists in the progression towards a new era, and to reach international audiences. This constitutes an important step where, together, we have created a new experience for people by bringing together the parallel worlds—the offline and online platforms of creativity—in a seamless integration.

We believe that this collaborative effort will contribute to many further developments in the field of art for Thailand in the future, providing a window of limitless opportunity for artists in their creative endeavors,” added Mr. Panthep.
Mr.Supoj Chaiwatsirikul, Managing Director of ICONSIAM Co., Ltd., gave an overview of the objectives of TDAF2022 saying, “ICONSIAM represents the ultimate Thainess through creativity and innovation, a result of the amazing collaboration between experts in various fields from over 15 countries, Thai experts from different sectors including architects, engineers, artists, craftsmen, community leaders from many different provinces, as well as the government and private sectors, civil society, and business operators. The ultimate goal is to make Thailand the first centre of digital art in the region, promote Thai artists in the international forum, as well as create an awareness about digital art and NFTs, creating an easy and convenient NFT marketplace on the Coral platform for artists, art collectors and art enthusiasts.

More importantly, this event is another channel to create a showcase and new opportunities for the Thai art industry to show their potential and creative power to international stage. This is in line with ICONSIAM’s vision to showcase innovations and new experiences beyond borders, create a new phenomenon never before seen in Thailand, reinterpret our cultural heritage to the modern times, and present the Thai identity to the international audiences. to “Win The World for Thailand.”

Dr. Doytibet Duchanee, Director of Baan Dam Museum of National Artist Dr. Thawan Duchanee, and TDAF’s Art Curator and Creative Director, said “TDAF2022 is going to be an amazing phenomenon in the history of Thai art. It will jump start Thai art to international levels. Over 130 artists are taking part including National artists and acclaimed artists such as the work of the late Dr Thawan Duchanee, Ajahn Pratuang Emcharoen, Prof Emeritus Prayad Pongdam, Prof Emeritus Preecha Thaotong, Arjarn Tawee Ratchaneekorn, Arjarn Inson Wongsam, Arjarn Chuang Moolpinij, Prof Vichoke Mukdamanee, Arjarn Kamol Tassananchalee, Arjarn Panya Vijinthanasarn, Arjarn Thongchai Rakpathum, and Arjarn Woranan Chachawalthipakorn. Among the celebrated artists and up-and-coming artists are Prof Thavorn Ko-Udomvit, Thongchai Srisukprasert, Sakwut Wisesmanee, Jitsing Somboon, Chalit Nakpawan, Phornchai Jaima, Prasong Luemuang, Chatchawan Rodklongtan, Alongkorn Lowattana, Lamphu Kansanoh, Wanda Chaima, Aof Smith, Chalermpol Janrayab, Aphisit Muennak, Veerachai Duangpla, and Jeerawut Boonchuaynampon. There will also be celebrities and influencers such as Jirayu Tantrakul, Arikantha Mahapreukpong (Gypso), and Methi Noichinda. There will be a total of over 1,300 pieces of art including paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, digital art, animation, graphic design, street art, art toys, fashion, music, and performance arts – in short, almost every possible art discipline. Each piece is marked by its diversity and uniqueness.”

Dr. Doytibet also described the groundwork of this phenomenal event in Thailand’s art circle as achieving a feat that is a challenging task —to connect two paralleled worlds as one, and give wings to artists, enabling them to fly into the Metaverse of the near future. It has also never been possible to bring together this largest number of noted artists into one event before.

Dr. Doytibet added, “There are art enthusiasts all over the world, and bringing art work to them on a digital platform is a way of opening the door to an entirely new world that takes Thai artists onto the international stage. It is the goal of creating Thailand as “The Digital Arts Hub of Asia”. Since technology now provides the opportunity to present art work in a new and different format, artists will have to adapt in order to meet the challenges of the future world without having to forsake their traditional creative processes and at the same time embrace new technology, since it is a new dimension of merging physical art and digital art.”

Mr. Paul Thanaarmates Arriyavat, Head of Venture Builder, KASIKORN X described that TDAF 2022 is an exclusive event that will feature masterpieces from world-renowned masters and artists in the form of NFTs on KX’s Coral Super Simple NFT Marketplace. Coral (coralworld.co) focuses on promoting artists’ identity, global NFT standards, and omnichannel engagements.

“NFT collectors can have peace of mind that you purchase authentic NFTs from original artists. You can buy NFTs using local currencies and standard payment methods, just like e-commerce. No need to think about cryptocurrencies. Coral NFT is based on the Ethereum ERC-1155, a global standard for NFTs. Coral NFT walls are bridges that link artists and fans together online and offline. The Coral platform will enable limitless opportunities for all participants.”

As another key partner and significant role in exposing digital art, Ms. Phakwan Wongphontawee, Chief Business Development Officer and Chief Marketing and Partnership Officer at Plan B Media Public Company Limited, said “It is a great pleasure that Plan B Media is part of TDAF 2022, the first and the most prominent digital art fair in Thailand and Asia. Now we can appreciate art through a new digital experience and in the form of NFT. This event will leverage the Thai art industry to an international level. Plan B’s media is the world’s largest network of outdoor art galleries, presented with innovative, and cutting-edge varieties of mediums to reach target audiences all through their outdoor journey.

“Plan B Media will be a part of the breakthrough in Thailand’s art scene in the form of NFT to reach millions of audiences through over 850 Plan B’s digital screens across the country from 15 February to 20 March 2022.”
The event will strictly implement Covid-19 prevention measures to ensure confidence for those wishing to visit the exhibition. All visitors will be required to have a temperature check, and the venue will be disinfected according to safety standards each evening after the door closes.

Experience the power of creativity and digital art at Thailand Digital Arts Festival 2022, the first event of its kind in Thailand and Asia, from 5-20 March 2022, 10am-10pm, at Charoen Nakhon Hall, M Floor, and ICON Art and Culture Space, 8th Floor, ICONSIAM, Charoen Nakhon Road.

First published at TravelCommunication.net

First published at TravelNewsHub.com – Global Travel News