The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is preparing to welcome high-profile tourism professionals worldwide to the PATA Destination Marketing Forum to be held at the Renaissance Pattaya Resort and Spa between 27 – 29 November, 2019.
Organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the event is being held under the theme, “Redefining a Destination: Reviving the Past to Reimagine the Future”. The one-day conference has been designed to offer an unprecedented, culturally-immersive experience of the host destination along with inspiring and insightful discussions on some of the major issues in marketing and managing tourism growth.
Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, Deputy Governor of Marketing Communication, TAT said, “As TAT gets set to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2020, we look forward to sharing our experience on six decades of tourism development, and how it has shaped the country.”
On 29 November, 2019, the welcome address will be delivered by Mrs. Srisuda Wanapinyosak, Deputy Governor for Europe Africa Middle East and the Americas, TAT as a co-host of the Forum.
Also, in the afternoon, Mr. Tanes will deliver a special talk on “Thailand Tourism’s Role in Redefining a Destination – From the Past 60 Years towards the Future.”
Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Deputy Governor for Product and Tourism Business will be one of the panelist discussants on the “Case Study of CBT in Thailand.”
TAT will also host a welcome reception on 28 November at The Ocean Marina Yacht Club Pattaya and the farewell dinner on 29 November at The Grande Center Point Pattaya.
Three complimentary technical tours have been organised for delegates to discover the gems of Pattaya and the surrounding area by engaging with the culture, enjoying their cuisine and savouring their traditional lifestyles.
These tours will include a visit to natural resource management projects initiated by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Siri Charoenwat Forest Plantation and the Takhian Tia community, which still practises the traditional ways of self-sufficient Thai living. They will also enjoy a traditional performative art form, ‘Khon’, before learning how to cook Thai food and experiencing first-hand how rice – a staple of Thai cuisine – is cultivated.
Pattaya is also an ideal base to tour the Eastern Seaboard provinces of Chon Buri, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat. The Royal Thai Government is now in the process of re-developing this area into the Eastern Economic Corridor that will link all the major airports and seaports of Bangkok and this entire region with high speed road and rail connections.
The history of Thailand’s travel, tourism and transportation linkages with the neighbouring Mekong countries can also be traced back to Pattaya. It was at the PEACH Convention Centre, Royal Cliff Beach Resort, host of the annual PATA conference in 1996, that an agreement was signed to create the Agency for Coordinating Mekong Tourism Activities (AMTA).
In 2018, Chon Buri province (where Pattaya is located) recorded approximately 22 million trips (+3.65%), comprising of Thai visitors 9.7 million trips (+ 2.93%), and foreign tourists 12.3 million trips (+ 4.23%), resulting in total revenue of 315.442 billion Baht (+ 18.75%). The top 5 source markets of foreign tourists were China, Russia, South Korea, India and the Middle East.
Other hosts of the event are the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) and Pattaya City.
