Bangkok (Thailand) – September 27, 2015 (travelindex.com) – The Thailand Tourism Awards, the Kingdom's highest accolade for its best travel and tourism products and services, will be presented at a ceremony on September 27, 2015, at the Impact Muang Thong Thani Exhibition and Convention Centre. Established in 1996 by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the biennial awards recognize best practices in the Thai travel and tourism sector. The TAT chose World Tourism Day as the date for the ceremony to highlight the importance of these awards in fostering a new generation of creative, high-quality, and sustainable tourism products and services in a time of intense competition and constant change. His Excellency Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, will preside over the opening ceremony, and Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the TAT, will deliver a report in the Grand Diamond Ballroom of Impact Forum 2 at Impact Muang Thong Thani. The afternoon ceremony will be preceded by a morning of educational seminars presented by industry leaders, marketing consultants, and advertising experts.

This year, the evaluation criteria placed particular emphasis on preserving Thai identity, especially on the environmentally friendly design of tourism products in line with the principles of His Majesty the King's sufficiency economy, the implementation of innovative and creative marketing campaigns, primarily via social media, and value creation. In accordance with the sustainability principles of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, applicants had to demonstrate how they contribute to the protection of the country's natural resources, climate change mitigation, economic and social development, good governance, and innovation.

The full list of this year's six award categories includes: 1. Hall of Fame (7 awards) 2. Tourism Promotion and Support Organizations (14 awards) 3. Tourist Attractions (13 awards for excellence and 31 awards for outstanding achievement) 4. Tourist Accommodation (7 awards for excellence and 8 awards for outstanding achievement) 5. Health Tourism (9 awards for excellence, 10 awards for outstanding achievement) 6. Travel Programs (6 awards for excellence and 12 awards for outstanding achievement)

Mr. Sugree Sithivanich, Deputy Governor of the TAT for Marketing Communications, stated: “The jury consisted of some of the most respected figures in the Thai tourism industry, all of whom are considered experts in their field. We sincerely thank all jury members for their considerable time and effort in evaluating the numerous applications received.”

In addition to the award, a Kinnaree logo as a guarantee of quality for their tourism products and services, all winners receive support in marketing their offerings through TAT's marketing events and media channels both domestically and internationally, including television and radio spots, online channels, and print media. They also have the opportunity to participate in TAT's familiarization trips for media representatives and travel agency staff.

Contact information: International Public Relations Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tel.: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48, Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419, E-mail: [email protected], Website: www.tatnews.org