Bangkok (Thailand) – January 28, 2020 (travelindex.com) – With nearly 1,000 submissions and a total of 340 hours of footage, the Asia Destination Film Awards generated significant interest among international filmmakers, tourism boards, travel companies, and content creators. Thirty-four finalists have been nominated in the categories of Tourism Boards, Travel Industry, Filmmakers, User-Generated Content, and Sustainable Travel. The winners in each category will be determined by a jury and a public vote at www.destinationfilmforum.com/asia-destination-film-awards/. Voting is open until January 29, 2020.

To highlight the importance of visual content in destination marketing and sustainability, the 2nd Asia Destination Film Forum and Awards will take place in Bangkok on January 30, 2020, under the joint chairmanship of H.E. Itthipol Khunpluem, Minister of Culture of Thailand, and Dr. Sorajak Kasemsuwan, Secretary General of the National Association of Film and Media Industries of Thailand. A distinguished panel of speakers – from Thai filmmakers such as Ekachai Uekrongtham (“The Stranded” – Netflix) and Tom Waller (“The Cave”) to Hollywood producers like Nicholas Simon (“Avengers: Endgame”, “Kong: Skull Island”) and Nick Ray of the Cambodian film production company Hanuman Films (“The Last Reel”) – will explore the significance of filming locations and the role of Asian destinations.

Speakers from tourism associations, including Raymond Kim (Busan, South Korea), Tanes Petsuwan (Deputy Governor for Marketing Communications, Tourism Authority of Thailand), Jens Thraenhart (Executive Director, Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office), Joe Choo (Regional Director Thailand, Singapore Tourism Board), and Bayasgalan Saranjav (Director General of the Tourism Policy Coordination Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Mongolia), will explore the role of destinations in film tourism. Beyond the public sector, the forum will also examine how film tourism can benefit the private sector. Deepak Ohri, CEO of Lebua Hotels & Resorts (“The Hangover Part II”), will discuss how bloggers can influence tourism through visual content.

The aspect of sustainability in film tourism is analyzed by a panel of experts, including Gabriel Kuperman (Executive Producer, Mekong 2030), Roi Ariel (General Manager, GSTC), Graham Harper (Director, PATA, Sustainability and Social Responsibility), Tuan Pham (Head of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, Agoda) and Janet Salem (Programme Manager, Sustainable Consumption and Production, United National Environment Programme (UNEP)).

The Asia Destination Film Awards take place following the Asia Destination Film Forum and are complemented by the Film Festival BBQ Party, sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism of Mongolia, which offers authentic Mongolian barbecue, cultural performances and films.

Further information about the event and tickets are available at

Films nominated for the Asia Destination Film Awards 2020