It becomes clear how tourism, prosperity, and peace work together to ensure a good economy and prosperity for its people. It doesn’t take much to convert a good image into a bad one.
The Tourism Authority was established to market tourism to the kingdom. Did governors of TAT fail to fully understand and act on the message of the country’s beloved king?
The death of Thailand’s king in 2016 left a hole in the hearts of many. It also created uncertainty for some in the tourism industry, accounting for at least 10 percent of the country’s GDP.
In this video, made to commemorate the birth anniversary of His Majesty the late King Rama IX the Great, I share a few thoughts on what I consider to be the biggest mistake made by Thai tourism—exploiting the marketing opportunities presented by the various Royal events over the late King’s 70-year reign but paying little or no attention to his balanced nation-building.
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About the author
Imtiaz Muqbil
Imtiaz Muqbil,
Executive Editor
Travel Impact Newswire
Bangkok-based journalist covering the travel and tourism industry since 1981. Currently editor and publisher of Travel Impact Newswire, arguably the only travel publication providing alternative perspectives and challenging conventional wisdom. I have visited every country in the Asia Pacific except North Korea and Afghanistan. Travel and Tourism is an intrinsic part of the history of this great continent but the people of Asia are a long way away from realizing the importance and value of their rich cultural and natural heritage.
As one of the longest-serving travel trade journalists in Asia, I have seen the industry go through many crises, from natural disasters to geopolitical upheavals and economic collapse. My goal is to get the industry to learn from history and its past mistakes. Really sickening to see the so-called “visionaries, futurists and thought-leaders” stick to the same old myopic solutions which do nothing to address the root causes of crises.
Imtiaz Muqbil
Executive Editor
Travel Impact Newswire