Bangkok (Thailand) – January 14, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) will take place for the eighth time on January 21, 2019 and offers an extensive program focusing on the megaprojects that are currently changing the tourism landscape in Bangkok and beyond.

Under the motto "Tourism Management – ​​Ensuring Great Experiences and Sustainable Results", Thailand's largest annual hospitality event has already attracted a record audience of 850 tourism and hospitality industry executives to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok for an afternoon of interactive and informative stage sessions.

The keynote speaker at TTF 2019 is Supaluck Umpujh, Chairwoman of The Mall Group Co., Ltd. She will speak alongside Charles Blocker, CEO of IC Partners, about the importance of retail, entertainment, and hospitality in creating better tourism experiences. As Chairwoman of one of Thailand's largest retail companies, Ms. Umpujh is responsible for some of the country's most iconic attractions, including The Emporium, EmQuartier, Siam Paragon, and The Mall in Bangkok.

The Mall Group also recently announced a groundbreaking strategic partnership with AEG, the world's leading sports and live entertainment company, which will include billions of dollars in investment in two world-class arenas – "EM Live" and "BANGKOK ARENA".

The TTF 2019 highlights the comprehensive reorientation of Thailand's tourism sector. With international visitor numbers continuing to reach record highs and Bangkok's rise to become the world's most visited city*, the half-day event examines how the country is developing new infrastructure and facilities to cope with the influx of visitors. This includes large-scale integrated tourism projects, sprawling shopping malls, branded theme parks, urban transport networks, airport rail links, and much more.

“TTF 2019 is taking place at a crucial turning point for Thailand’s tourism industry. With growth rates continuing to rise rapidly, the country needs to further develop and expand its tourism infrastructure to meet the growing demand. TTF 2019 will focus on the most important new developments in the Kingdom, while also looking to the future and discussing how Thailand’s tourism industry should be shaped for long-term success,” said Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks and co-organizer of TTF 2019.

“We are delighted to confirm Khun Supaluck as the keynote speaker for TTF 2019. With the Mall Group, she has transformed the shopping mall concept from a purely retail experience into an integrated destination for tourism, shopping, and lifestyle. This is reflected in the recently established partnership with AEG, which will create world-class experiences and attractions. I am confident that her vision and expertise will provide valuable insights for our audience,” he added.

Khun Supaluck added: “Thailand is considered one of the world’s most popular travel destinations, and The Mall Group, Thailand’s leading developer of retail and entertainment complexes, has joined the government policy to develop Thailand into a commercial hub and a global tourist destination with business districts, tourist attractions and modern entertainment centers.”

Following an opening speech by Bill Barnett on the topic of “Tourism Management – ​​Growth & Sustainability”, other keynote speakers at TTF 2019 will be: Robert VR Hecker, Managing Director of Horwath HTL, and Rahul Mittal, Director of Cistri (Urbus), who will speak about the “Fundamentals of Master Planning”; as well as Jesper Palmqvist, Area Director of STR for the Asia-Pacific region, who will give an overview of the performance and future prospects of the Thai hotel market.

David Keen, CEO of QUO, and Stephan Roemer, CEO of Diethelm Travel Group, will address the topic of “Destination Marketing – Thailand & Overseas Best Cases”; Nikhom Jensiriratanakorn, Director of Horwath HTL, will speak about “Thailand’s Railway System Plans and Reality”; Nihat Ercan, Head of Investment Sales at JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, will cover the topic of investment in a session entitled “Hotel Costs: A Global Perspective – Develop or Acquire?”; Eric Ricaurte, Founder and CEO of Greenview, and Prae Piromya, GM of Planning & Operation, Sustainable Development Office of the Central Group, will discuss the major debate “Does Green Action Pay Off?”; and Eric Levy, Managing Director of TSI, and Clarence Tan, Managing Director SEA & Korea of ​​the InterContinental Hotels Group, will lead a session on attractions entitled “Hey Neighbor, Can I Borrow Your Water Slide?” Finally, Wimintra Jangnin, editor-in-chief of Hotel Intel, will take a look at “Chindia” (China and India), which currently accounts for about a third of all foreign arrivals in Thailand.

The TTF 2019, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce Thailand (AMCHAM) and the C9 Hotelworks Hospitality Consulting Group, is free of charge. The event concludes with an evening cocktail reception at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok, providing an opportunity for networking.