Last week, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organized an innovative hybrid event to present Thailand's tourism promotion strategy to a room full of travel agency staff at Dolton House in Sydney and to many more people across the country via a live online broadcast.

The afternoon presentations were inspiring and explained the Kingdom's strategy for reopening borders, the increased focus on sustainable tourism, and news from over 20 Thai providers, airlines, hotels and attractions.

Between the presentations, the participants enjoyed a delicious Thai lunch and a cooking demonstration by Palisa Anderson, the celebrated chef of the Chat Thai restaurant.

Suladda Sarutilavan, Director of TAT Sydney, explained Thailand's CAT policy to cope with the constantly changing situation:

  • C is for COPE. Managing and responding to the situation, prioritizing well-being and safety.
  • A is for ADAPT. Implementing change through innovation and digital technology.
  • T stands for TRANSFORM. Thailand is transforming towards quality tourism with the aim of enriching the experience for tourists and the environment.

    • Timetable for recreation

    Thailand's reopening plan begins with the "Phuket Sandbox." Phuket will be the first region to open to vaccinated tourists on July 1, 2021, with the goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the population by the time the borders reopen.

    On October 1st, other important tourist destinations will follow, including Krabi, Phang Nga, Surat Thani (including Ko Samui, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao), Chonburi (including Pattaya) and Chiang Mai.

    Wellness and responsible travel

    Two tourism categories that are the focus of the TAT's marketing efforts are wellness and responsible travel. Thailand offers numerous first-class wellness resorts that can help you achieve your fitness goals.

    The other focus is on responsible travel, which can be achieved by considering all the impacts of tourism on the environment, wildlife, plantations and the Thai population.

    "Our goal is to offer tourists a more meaningful experience."

    Marketing in lockdown

    The TAT has sponsored several local events in Australia and partnered with them to keep Thailand in the minds of all the Australians who have an insatiable desire to travel after the borders reopened.

    With a focus on the family travel market, TAT participated in this year's Sydney Royal Easter Show and partnered with the NRL's South Sydney Rabbitohs.

    To highlight Thailand's efforts to support and promote marine conservation and responsible tourism, the TAT, in cooperation with the Thai Consulate in Sydney, participated in a beach and underwater cleanup operation in Chowder Bay in Mosman.

    Slow Food, Slow Tourism.

    To highlight Thailand's strategy for gastronomic tourism, Palisa Anderson of Chat Thai gave a slightly different kind of cooking demonstration. She introduced an enthusiastic audience to the world of traditional Thai ingredients and explained the importance of using local, seasonal produce – a strategy many Thai resorts have adopted to support local producers.

    Thailand experts

    Also presented at the event was the TAT's new online training program for travel agency staff. It offers the opportunity to expand knowledge about Thailand and the latest developments in the Kingdom's tourism infrastructure and was presented by Marketing Manager Sherly Handjojo at the hybrid event.

    "We want to focus on the positive."