INAUGURAL ASEAN e-TRAVEL MART
WELCOME ADDRESS BY MR APICHAI SAKULSUREEYADEJ
President of Tourism Technology Association
March 24, 2011 at The Plaza Athenee Hotel, Bangkok
Your Excellency Prime Minister Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology
Executives from Tourism Authority of Thailand, Pacific Asia Travel Association
President and Board Members of The ASEAN Tourism Association
Board Members and Advisors of the Tourism Technology Association
Fellow Members of the Press
Distinguished Guests
I would like to start by offering our condolences, empathies, and support to the people of Japan.
On behalf of the Tourism Technology Association, I welcome you to the first ever ASEAN
eTravel Mart. This day will be another day that goes down in history, as another milestone marked towards the coming together of ten countries in the Southeast Asian region in moving together towards a more developed and a better organized economy. The difference that you are making here today, is that you are part of an action being taken, to move ahead along with the fast revolutionizing world and its trends, and collaborating to uplift the entire ASEAN region. Whilst policies and agreements have their own merits and process, we are here to contribute our part in strengthening the tourism industries and businesses within this region.
As most of you may be aware, this is the first event of its kind in the history of ASEAN. It is a humble and small beginning, but it is an event that cannot be ignored. With so much research telling us that almost 80 percent of all travel information is sought online, it is impossible to ignore the importance of technology in the tourism industry. The internet itself has revolutionized the tourism industry more than any other element in the last 30 years.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I won't tell you how much behind we are when we compare ourselves to the world with regards to technology penetration in the tourism business. But I am here to tell you that we have now started working together to catch up, and perhaps be ahead. One cannot deny the value of the Southeast Asian region as a destination. Our culture, our history, our destinations, value for money, and most importantly, our hospitality, are all winners as attractions for the world travel industry. The challenge lies in strengthening our capabilities to market them, re-organizing our businesses to meet what travellers around the world are looking for, and being good at it.
The Tourism Technology Association is a body that has been working since 2004. Seven years ago, I and a group of people who supported me saw that technology was going to play an increasing role in the tourism industry. Back then, as you can imagine, technology had not taken over the industry, as it has today. As most government bodies are busy promoting destinations, and other tourism associations promoting private sector tourism related opportunities, that leaves a gap, viewing from our perspective. Who would hand-hold and educate the individual operators and the people in the industry then?
Given that gap, Tourism Technology Association was born, and has been working since then to educate, awaken, and strengthen the tourism industry. I am proud to mention that from our beginnings until today, we have educate more than 6,000 SMEs in Thailand on using technology in tourism. We realized last year that it is now time to grow our objectives and network into the ASEAN region, hence the collaboration with the ASEAN Tourism Association today.
Ladies and Gentlemen, with all of what I have said, with respect to the ASEAN eTravel Mart today, I know we are here to promote the tourism businesses, find new ways to market them, and so on. Strengthening businesses and the industry is definitely a goal, and has been so over the last 7 years. However, today, I would like to admit that the goal has somewhat graduated from where it started for us.
There are approximately 20 million people that work in the ASEAN Tourism Industry. Statistically, each person working in the tourism industry relies on, and creates jobs indirectly or directly for approximately 3 other people. By 2015 we forecast the figure to grow to somewhere over 30 million. You put those figures together, and we get approximately 90 to 100 million people affected and contributing to this industry, directly and indirectly.
Ladies and Gentlemen, our concern today and going forward, is about these people. Without these people, our industry doesn't exist, and we cannot prosper. Capacity building on emerging and evolving technologies is extremely important, and it starts with all of you here today, the getting together of the ASEAN population.
Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, today is the day that the Tourism Technology Association would like to state that it will work even harder from here onwards. We want to see as many people in our region catch up with the world, or even ahead. Along with strengthening businesses and the industries in the region, we will work to ensure that our people gain more knowledge on this subject of tourism related technology, are better equipped, and more confident in marketing not only for themselves, but for each other in this region.
Going back to our beginnings, in the year 2004, we had decided to approach various people and organizations and share with them our concern about the lack of our readiness with regards to using technology in the tourism industry. At that time, there were many doubts raised by various people. It was all justified, as we were telling very senior people in both the industries that not enough was being done and technology had not taken over the industry, as it has today.
On the other hand, over the last 7 years, we have met several people, who saw in the same cause as we did, and gave us grave strength and support throughout these years. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them.
I would like to start by thanking His Excellency Prime Minister Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva. Your presence here today itself is an encouragement for us for many years to come. I would also like to thank all those supporting bodies that have stood with us throughout these years, and very importantly, the Board Members and Advisors of the Tourism Technology Association, for giving us the support and cooperation, hard work, and for never letting go of your faith.
There are of course many other people I need to express my gratitude for, but due to time, I would like to say that I know who you are.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I will be ending my speech in a few moments. But before that, I would like to share a positive piece of information with all of you. At the most recent ITB Convention in Berlin, the World Travel Tourism Council (WTTC), one of the most respected bodies in the tourism industry, for which membership is restricted only for Chairmen and CEOs of the worldʼs top tourism organizations, released their latest research paper, in witness of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). And in this latest research, the council has ranked Thailand as the Top Five Countries for the next ten years in the growth of the tourism industryʼs contribution to the GDP. WTTC has also ranked Thailand as the top four in the world in the growth of tourism investment in the next ten years.
In addition to that, in the latest ASEAN Tourism Forum held this past January in Cambodia, the ASEAN member countries appointed the Tourism Authority of Thailand as the Chair to the ASEAN Marketing Strategy Committee, as head of marketing strategies for the entire region. This is a trust placed upon Thailand by all of the ASEAN countries.
Your Excellency, on behalf of the industry, our partners, and our association, I would like to thank you for bringing the much needed stability to our country, and giving this industry importance, personally as well as through the governmentʼs projects. I express my gratitude, because we all know where the tourism industry stood just about one year ago, two years ago, three years ago and four years ago. Today, to turn around positively like we have done in the last 12 months and be recognized by the World Travel and Tourism Council as a high growth tourism industry is a positive recognition that cannot be ignored. With such a continued rapport and pace of development, I am sure we can contribute not only to our industry, but also to the ASEAN Tourism Industry.
And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you once again to this First ASEAN eTravel Mart. I thank you for your support and wish you a lot of success. Have a great event. Sawasdee krub.
Copyright Apichai Sakulsureeyadej
Contact information:
Tourism Technology Association
38 Sukhumvit Road Soi 22
Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2663 4600
Fax: +66 (0) 2663 5255
E-mail: info@tourismtechnology.net
Credit: Tourism Authority of Thailand (www.tourismthailand.org)
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