Bangkok, Thailand, March 23, 2021 / TRAVELINDEX / More than 400 leading figures in the tourism industry and industry experts met today in Bangkok – in a safe and social distancing format – for the 10th edition of the Thailand Tourism Forum 2021 (TTF), Thailand's most important meeting for travel, tourism and hospitality.

This year's TTF took place on Monday, March 22, 2021, at the Conrad Hotel Bangkok and was organized by the hotel consultancy group C9 Hotelworks. It coincided with the biggest crisis the tourism industry has ever faced: the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of this unprecedented upheaval, many of Thailand's leading hotel operators and other key stakeholders united under the hashtag #ThaiTourismUnited, speaking with one voice to drive the Kingdom's recovery.

Despite the challenges facing hoteliers and tourism providers in Thailand this year, registrations for the TTF 2021 in-person event sold out within three hours. Guests were presented with a content-packed program featuring some of the industry's most respected figures, including owners, presidents, and CEOs.

The event began with a panel discussion featuring leading figures in the Thai hotel industry, with CEOs of the country's largest hotel groups discussing ways to revitalize the tourism and hospitality sector. High-profile participants in the debate included Thirayuth Chirathivat, CEO of Centara Hotels & Resorts; Stephan Vanden Auweele, Chief Hospitality Group Officer of Asset World Corporation; Bill Heinecke, CEO of Minor International; Dirk De Cuyper, CEO of S Hotels & Resorts; Marisa Sukosol, President of the Hotel Association of Thailand; and Salanroj Sutaschuto, Director of the Central and Eastern Thailand Regional Office of the Convention and Exhibition Bureau of Thailand.

Bill Barnett, CEO of C9 Hotelworks, kicked off TTF 2021 in his inimitable style with an opening speech entitled “Lost in Thailand, The Ultimate Survival Story.” Attendees then had a choice of several short presentations and discussions, including an economic assessment of the Thai tourism sector, an overview of the Kingdom’s struggling aviation industry, insights into innovation and disruption in the hotel sector, and much more.

One of the most anticipated sessions was the one in which Jesper Palmqvist, STR's Area Director for the Asia-Pacific region, presented the latest hotel performance data and analysis for Thailand, as well as forecasts for the future.

Mr. Palmqvist explained: “After a particularly difficult January 2021, Thailand’s hotels are showing similar patterns to those seen at the end of 2020, at least at the end of the first quarter. There are initial signs of bookings for June, as well as some for November and December. Given Thailand’s reliance on international arrivals, STR’s forecast for Bangkok for the full year 2021 has been revised downwards. We expect 2022 to be a year of significant recovery in many sectors nationwide.”

Bill Barnett, CEO of C9 Hotelworks and organizer of TTF 2021, explained: “COVID-19 has affected almost every country on earth, and while Thailand has made considerable progress in containing infections, the pandemic’s impact on tourism has been catastrophic. International visitors previously accounted for over 70% of tourism spending in Thailand*, so this year’s border closures have created a huge hole in the economy. But the recovery starts here; TTF 2021 offers the Kingdom’s travel, tourism, and hotel industries a unique opportunity to unite, collaborate, and usher in a promising future.”

The TTF 2021 was held in compliance with all necessary health and safety regulations. The venue, the Conrad Hotel Bangkok, is certified by the Thai Labour Safety Authority (SHA), and all participants were required to follow SHA guidelines, including temperature checks on arrival, wearing face masks, and maintaining social distancing.

The Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2021 was opened by Minor founder Bill Heinecke. This was followed by a transaction update (JLL), an overview of the performance and future prospects of the Thai hotel industry (STR), a report on technologies driving change in the tourism sector (Hilton), an analysis of the size and future prospects of the Thai tourism market (SCB Securities), and other topics such as the realignment of the food and beverage sector and attracting skilled professionals. With 1,200 attendees last year, the TTF is Thailand's largest tourism event. It is organized annually by the American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand (AMCHAM) and hotel consultancy C9 Hotelworks (Bill Barnett). IHG was the main sponsor of the event for the past nine years, since Hilton took over this role. The TTF is held at the newly renovated Conrad Hotel Bangkok. Other sponsors include C9 Hotelworks, STR, JLL, Horwath, QUO, Delivering Asia Communications, and TCEB. The TTF is an impactful and dynamic event that attracts leading figures in the tourism industry, investors, banks, online travel agencies, hotel operators, airlines, medical institutions, and consultants, primarily from Thailand. Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertain development of international travel figures, we anticipate 350 to 400 attendees for 2021 to ensure compliance with social distancing rules and the guidelines of the Public Health Agency of Thailand (SHA).