Bangkok (Thailand) – January 22, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) returned for its eighth edition, offering an eventful program focused on the megaprojects currently transforming the tourism landscape in Bangkok and beyond.

Under the motto "Tourism Management – ​​Ensuring Great Experiences and Sustainable Results", Thailand's largest annual hospitality event attracted 850 leading figures from the tourism and hospitality industry to the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok, where they enjoyed an entire afternoon of interactive and informative stage sessions.

The keynote speaker was Supaluck Umpujh, Chairwoman of The Mall Group Co., Ltd., who, together with Charles Blocker, CEO of IC Partners, spoke about the importance of retail, entertainment, and hospitality for 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 the US company AEG Worldwide, 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 2019 Thai Tourism Forum (TTF) highlighted 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 event examined how the country is developing new infrastructure and facilities to cope with the influx of visitors. This includes massive integrated tourism projects, sprawling shopping malls, branded theme parks, urban transport networks, airport rail links, and much more.

“TTF 2019 takes place at a crucial turning point for Thailand’s tourism industry. With continued rapid growth rates, the country needs to further develop and expand its tourism infrastructure to meet the growing demand. TTF 2019 focused on the key new developments currently underway in the Kingdom while also looking ahead to the future. Discussions centered on how Thailand’s tourism industry should be managed to ensure its long-term success,” said Bill Barnett, Managing Director of C9 Hotelworks and co-organizer of TTF 2019.

“We are delighted to welcome 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 also 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 addressed the TTF 2019: Robert VR Hecker, Managing Director of Horwath HTL, and Rahul Mittal, Director of Cistri (Urbus), spoke about the “Fundamentals of Master Planning”; Jesper Palmqvist, Area Director of STR for the Asia-Pacific region, gave 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, explored the topic of “Destination Marketing – Thailand & Overseas Best Cases”; Nikhom Jensiriratanakorn, Director of Horwath HTL, spoke about “Thailand’s Railway System Plans and Reality”; Nihat Ercan, Head of Investment Sales at JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group, addressed the topic of investment in a session entitled “Hotel Costs in 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, discussed “The Big Debate – Does Green Pay?”; and Eric Levy, Managing Director of TSI, and Clarence Tan, Managing Director SEA & Korea of ​​the InterContinental Hotels Group, led a session on attractions entitled “Hey Neighbor, Can I Borrow Your Water Slide?”

The TTF 2019, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce Thailand (AMCHAM) and the C9 Hotelworks Hospitality Consulting Group, was free of charge. The event concluded with an evening cocktail reception at the InterContinental Hotel Bangkok, which offered numerous networking opportunities.

About the Thailand Tourism Forum: The Thailand Tourism Forum is an annual event held in January, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Thailand and leading hotel consultancy C9 Hotelworks Hospitality Consulting Group. Now in its eighth year, the forum attracts leading industry experts and a steadily growing number of attendees from across the region. It offers participants a unique opportunity to listen to industry leaders and experts engage in open discussions about the sector, analyze figures in detail, assess risks, and learn about key emerging trends in tourism across all Thai destinations.