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28 Mar, 2024

World Happiness Report: Why is Finland #1 and Thailand #58?

Bangkok – A Gallup World Poll survey released on March 20 declared Finland the Happiest Country in the World for the 7th year running. What is the reason for this continuing success? According to Mr Ville Tavio, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Countries have to make happiness a policy goal and create an […]

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1 Feb, 2022

35 Years On: How Visit Thailand Year 1987 Revolutionised Global Tourism

The year 2022 marks the 35th anniversary of Visit Thailand Year 1987, the record-breaking marketing extravaganza which revolutionised the Thai and global tourism industry. What lessons can be learned from its successes and failures? How can it help design a new post-pandemic model for global tourism? As Thailand Bureau Chief for the more…

2 Oct, 2021

Inaugural Global Lecture: “25 Women Who Put Thai Tourism on the Global Map”

As Thailand is reopening to tourism, a look back may help us look ahead more clearly. I am proud to be the first to launch this "Power of History" lecture series. All will be FREE but BY INVITATION more…

1 Jul, 2021

Inaugural “Power of History” Lecture: The Rise and Fall of PATA

Click here to register Click here to register The same lecture can be given privately at a more convenient time for those interested. For further inquiries and info, please email: more…

10 Jan, 2020

Unmatched Lectures on Thailand: The Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY

Bangkok - This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways International, the two founding pillars of what is now the kingdom's largest service economy sector and job-creator. This meteoric rise did not happen by chance. It was the result of a broad range more…

15 Nov, 2019

How 1987 Visit Thailand Year Revolutionised Global Travel & Tourism

One of the world's greatest tourism marketing extravaganzas, 1987 Visit Thailand Year changed the face of global Travel & Tourism. While establishing Thailand's marketing genius, it also exposed the kingdom's management deficiencies. Today, as the country prepares to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai more…

18 Mar, 2019

June 14, 2019: First Forum on The Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY

Bangkok – At 0900 hrs on March 18, exactly 59 years ago, what was then known as the Tourist Organisation of Thailand opened for business. Its duty, in the words of Gen Chalermchai Charuvastr, its first Director-General, was to promote visitor arrivals by "creating a wholesome image" of the Thai more…

11 Apr, 2018

FREE DOWNLOAD: The Next Big Thing – Thailand Outbound Travel Report 2018

Bangkok -- Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has made travel journalism history yet again by publishing the first report on the surging Thai outbound travel industry. The report is being made available FREE, thanks to support from Minister of Tourism and Sports Weerasak Kowsurat and Tourism Authority of Thailand more…

17 Jul, 2017

FREE DOWNLOAD: The Olive Tree – How Travel & Tourism can Contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

The Olive Tree is the first and only publication designed to help Travel & Tourism become a more committed part of the solution in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Free download. Click on any of the images below. ++++++++++ The Olive Tree Edition 20, July-August 2020 [caption id="attachment_60510" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Click on more…

1 Dec, 2016

Call for Entries: The First ASEAN Travel & Tourism Hall of Fame

By Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire Bangkok – Today marks the launch of the ASEAN Travel & Tourism Hall of Fame (ATTHoF), the first global website to honour the achievements of the many industry veterans and stalwarts who elevated this robust and dynamic industry to its present heights. Click here more…

25 Mar, 2024

UN Declares 2025 Year of Peace & Trust: Golden Opportunity for ASEAN tourism to take the lead

Bangkok -- The UN General Assembly has proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust (IYPT), and called for a fullscale mobilisation of efforts to build sustainable peace, solidarity and harmony via political dialogue, mutual understanding and cooperation amongst nations and peoples. 2025 will mark the 80th anniversary more…

21 Mar, 2024

PATA Tourism Careers Forum flags the Perils and Promises awaiting Gen Z

Bangkok -- On 18 March 2024, more than 1,500 university students of tourism, including about 700 onsite and another 800 online, attended a half-day forum organised by the PATA Thailand chapter and Bangkok University to "Fast Forward" their careers. It ended with a round of self-congratulatory applause and predictions of more…

7 Mar, 2024

Thai women tourism leaders set a global example for building peaceful, inclusive societies

Bangkok - Take a good look at this image below. See anything special? To mark International Women's Day tomorrow (08 March) let me shed some light on its deeper symbolism and significance. [caption id="attachment_64827" align="aligncenter" width="557"] Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin (seated centre) with the Minister of Tourism and Governor of more…

5 Mar, 2024

Photo exhibition gives Thais a chance to witness Pakistan’s stunning scenic beauty

Bangkok - Nearly 200 photographs capturing the scenic grandeur of Pakistan are on display at The Living Hall, 3rd Floor, Paragon Shopping Complex in Central Bangkok until March 10. Meticulously shot by David Lau, a renowned Bangkok-based adventure photographer, the images are on display as part of events marking the more…

3 Mar, 2024

Thai PM leads “Peace Through Tourism” visit to South Thailand

Bangkok – “When the people have money in their pockets, they will forget about their conflicts.” That simple rationale summarised the core objective of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s historic “Peace Through Tourism” visit to the kingdom’s southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat between 27-29 February. Under the slogan “Travel more…

27 Feb, 2024

Tourism tops agenda of Thai Prime Minister’s Feb 27-29 visit to South Thailand

Bangkok -- Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has embarked on a three-day visit to the three Muslim-majority provinces of South Thailand, specifically to promote tourism. The trip will include a range of social, cultural and economic activities designed to highlight the growth potential of Narathiwat and Yala, which share a more…

22 Feb, 2024

To become a multi-sectoral HUB, Thailand first needs to build its HOB

Bangkok -- On 22 Feb, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin unveiled an "IGNITE Thailand Vision" policy to make the kingdom a HUB of tourism, health & wellness, agriculture & food, aviation, logistics, future mobility, digital economy and finance. But speakers at a conference on promoting interfaith dialogue held at Bangkok's prestigious more…

18 Feb, 2024

SDGs will fail to meet 2030 target, but Travel & Tourism can still be a big help

Bangkok -- The "unfavourable global context" has rendered the 2030 target for the UN Sustainable Development Goals unachievable, according to a UN report. Although considerable progress has been made across all the 17 goals, it is "uneven and inadequate" across countries and categories, and will not be fully achieved until more…

14 Feb, 2024

First Time in Thailand – Bangkok Mosques to conduct Open House tours

Bangkok - For the first time in Thailand, dozens of mosques across Bangkok will open their doors for public visitation over the Eid Ul Fitr holiday around 9-10 April, the biggest Islamic event which follows the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. The project is designed to build peace, more…

11 Feb, 2024

Thai travel industry urged to reduce usage of US$ for doing business

Bangkok - The Thai travel & tourism industry has been warned about using the US dollar for business transactions and urged to use the currencies of the countries with which they are doing business. In a landmark lecture at this year's joint meeting of the Association of Thai Travel Agents more…

8 Feb, 2024

Geopolitics shunts sustainability as the biggest threat to Travel & Tourism

Bangkok -- Thailand's foreign policy of maintaining strict neutrality in the midst of superpower bunfights has become the key to its national security and economic survival. Although Travel & Tourism is both a major component and beneficiary of that policy, the prospect of prolonged global geopolitical instability means that industry more…

31 Jan, 2024

Saudi Arabia in big demand at Thai travel show as outbound rebounds

Bangkok - Saudi Tourism made its second appearance at the 29th Thailand International Travel Fair [TITF 2024], the annual event organised by the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), which groups the country’s outbound travel agents and tour operators. It was one of the highlights of the 24-28 January event at more…

29 Dec, 2023

Person of the Year: The Israeli conscientious objector Tal Mitnick, 18

The travel and tourism industry has long feigned concern about the "NextGen". Multiple activities are organised regularly to help them inherit a better future. The way things are going, that does not seem likely. Today, I am making a small attempt to thwart that downward trend by conferring, for the more…

24 Dec, 2023

Thailand tourism enjoys robust rebound in 2023 but danger looms high for 2024

Bangkok -- Since the end of the Covid-19 crisis in 2021, Thai tourism has enjoyed a robust rebound and is set to end 2023 just a little shy of 30 million visitors. While that may heighten optimism of hitting the pre-Covid total of 40 million in 2024, the Israel-Palestine war more…

21 Dec, 2023

PATA Chairman, an American, blasts global geopolitical unrest as “existential threat” to tourism

Bangkok -- Mr Peter Semone, the American chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, has unleashed a blistering attack on the "ethnocentrism and extreme views" dominating the political discourse in his country. "America used to be a melting pot where anyone could succeed regardless of your place of birth, race, more…

19 Dec, 2023

Bangkok art exhibitions reflect Peace and Tranquility but Reality paints a different picture

Bangkok -- On 16 December 2023, my wife and I spent a few hours immersed in the grandeur of art as an expression of peace and tranquility at the Jim Thompson Art Center in Bangkok. One exhibition titled "Echoed Tranquillity" combined the works of Din Q. Le (Vietnam), Toshiko Tanaka (Japan) more…

6 Dec, 2023

Gaza butchery set to boost bottom-lines of global merchants of death, especially the Israelis

Bangkok - The blood of innocent Palestinians is set to generate a financial goldmine for Israeli arms dealers Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the aggregate arms revenue of these three companies rose by 6.5 per cent to $12.4 billion more…

29 Nov, 2023

Is Travel & Tourism ready for the catastrophic fallout of the Israel-Palestine conflict?

Today, Nov 29, marks the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. It comes against the backdrop of Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people, supported by the United States and several European countries in line with Israel's "right to defend itself". The savagery and brutality of the latest round of conflict more…

28 Nov, 2023

ASEAN Young Gen team to push indigenous “Cultural Wisdom” at Climate Change conference

Bangkok -- How did people live in the pre-oil era? A life free of gas-guzzling cars, electricity, aircraft, condominiums, etc, was quite comfortable, apparently. According to the Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance (SEACHA), people had more than enough know-how to "manage land, forests, rivers and seas that are climate-friendly, sustainable, more…

27 Nov, 2023

FREE Lectures on Visit Thailand Year 1987 to mark HM the late King Bhumibhol’s 96th birth anniversary

Dec 5, 2023 will mark the 96th birth anniversary of His Majesty the late King Bhumibhol Adulyadej the Great.   It will be His Majesty's 8th 12-year cycle birth anniversary.   Exactly 36 years ago, in 1987, His Majesty's 5th cycle birth anniversary was marked with a momentous national celebration known as Visit Thailand more…

27 Nov, 2023

Hotelbeds MarketHub summit shows recovery is on a roll, but danger looms

Bangkok - The travel industry is awash with statistics celebrating the AC (After Covid) "recovery". But the next crisis is already on the cards. While both trends were on display at the annual Hotelbeds MarketHub summit in Bangkok between 21-23 November, it was apparent that travel corporations and stakeholders are more…

24 Nov, 2023

Make “behavioural change”, former Thai Tourism Minister tells business leaders

Bangkok -- Former Thai Minister of Tourism & Sports, Senator Weerasak Kowsurat, one of the country's most respected industry personalities, says global business leaders will need to make a "behavioural change" if they wish to deal with the twin challenges facing both the natural environment as well as their own more…

4 Nov, 2023

04 Nov 1995: The Death of “Peace Through Tourism” and the Failure of Travel & Tourism Leadership

04 Nov should be declared a Day of Mourning in Travel & Tourism. It marked the first and last time the Prime Minister of any country addressed an audience of leading hoteliers on how they, the whole world and the future generation will profit from "PEACE THROUGH TOURISM". A retired military officer more…

21 Oct, 2023

Nov 4 Webinar: An Act of Evil Terrorism that Changed the Course of History

Countdown to Nov 4 - The day a Jewish Zionist fanatic terrorist changed the course of history. I was the only travel trade journalist from Asia in Tel Aviv the night Yigal Amir assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, a Nobel Peace prize winner. The mayhem unfolding in the Middle East more…

5 Oct, 2023

A tribute to Pran Nath Seth: The veteran Indian travel journalist who saw tomorrow

As "sustainability" is dominating discussions at the PATA Travel Mart in New Delhi this week, I felt it would be a good idea to hark back to the words of the late Indian travel writer and analyst Pran Nath Seth, arguably the first journalist to warn way back in the more…

4 Oct, 2023

The two Indian travel veterans who shook up PATA

As the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) meets this week for the Travel Mart in New Delhi, it may be timely to recognise two late Indian veterans who defied the odds to bring about changes which had far-reaching impact on PATA and the Asia-Pacific travel industry. Mr Inder Sharma (PATA President, more…

12 Sep, 2023

Tourism aiding rehabilitation of convicts, drug dealers in North Thailand

Chiang Mai / Chiang Rai Provinces, North Thailand -- Hundreds of convicted prisoners serving time in two Northern Thailand correctional institutions are being rehabilitated and prepared to lead a post-release normal life under an Inspire project initiated by Princess Bajarakitiyabha, the eldest daughter of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn. Tourism is more…

28 Aug, 2023

Game-changing Lecture not to be missed: Thailand as the World’s First “Alliance of Civilisations” Destination

Bangkok - September 2023 will be an important month in the history of Thailand. Within Thailand, a new Minister of Tourism will take charge in the Cabinet which has just been cobbled together after the contentious May 2023 elections. The Tourism Authority of Thailand will get a new Governor, Mrs Thapanee more…

25 Aug, 2023

As time runs out, SDG targets still a long way from being met, Thailand’s UN diplomat warns

Bangkok - On 24 August, I covered an event at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the role of global aid and development agencies in promoting sustainability in Thailand, the Mekong countries and beyond. Organised by the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), a unit of the MFA, the event included agencies more…

10 Aug, 2023

First TAT event for social media influencers opens new chapter in travel communications

Bangkok - Thailand's travel industry communications entered a new era on 9 Aug 2023 with the first fully-hosted fam trips exclusively designed for 60 influencers and social-media bloggers commanding a total claimed following of 26 million. Effectively, it marked the beginning of the end of decades of relations with the more…