INAUGURAL ASEAN e-TRAVEL MART
ASEAN TOURISM EMBRACES TECHNOLOGY
The inaugural "ASEAN eTravel Mart" was held at Plaza Athenee in Bangkok, Thailand on 24 March 2011. The first ever Electronic Standards for the ASEAN Tourism Industry was launched in this event with the aim of driving online services and integration of the ASEAN tourism industry, as ASEAN gets ready for the ASEAN Economic Community.
His Excellency Prime Minister of Thailand Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva presided over the opening ceremony of the "ASEAN eTravel Mart", hosted and organized by Bangkok-based Tourism Technology Association (TTA). The ASEAN Tourism Association is the co-host of the event, with support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), International Institute of Travel and Development, Software Industry Promotion Agency from Thailand, and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA).
This event is an important step for Thailand and the ASEAN region, as all ten ASEAN countries participate for discussion and cooperation in efforts to strengthen the regional tourism industry. By better utilizing technology better, nations in the ASEAN region can drive their tourism industries forward, whilst integrating sales of products and services with other operators within the region.
Thailand, as the host country of this regional event, has set a goal for implementation of various technologies, in line with the growth of its economy. There is an on-going development in internet broadband services (high speed internet) to cover most areas, with a goal to serve more than 80 percent of the total population within 2015 and more than 95 percent by 2020. This supports the growth of the online business and is a preparation towards economic cooperation within ASEAN, which will form an ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015.
Apichai Sakulsureeyadej, president of the Tourism Technology Association (TTA), said the cooperation can be seen as a milestone and a turning point of the ASEAN tourism Industry. This event has been endorsed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), with support from ASEAN Secretariat, and other leading organizations in the Information and Communication Technology as well as regional Tourism Industries.
This is the first time we will see the world's top online businesses gather together in one forum to share their experiences. Present at the event are executives from Expedia, Agoda, Trip Advisor, Google, WeGo, Asian Trails, Air Asia, and others.
About 400 - 500 million Baht of sales (USD 13,000 to 17,000 approximately) from both tourism trade as well as software sales is expected from this event, which has approximately 40 exhibitors, and around 500 buyers attending this mart.
The Tourism Technology Association is confident that this cooperation will result in an increasing number of internet buyers and sellers in the tourism business, and more importantly, more connectivity between operators in the region. We hope to see an significant increase in marketing channels for the ASEAN tourism operators.
"Thailand and ASEAN's tourism business in 2011 is seeing increasingly positive signs, due to the security in the region and cooperation between countries, as well as the good opportunity for growth in the trading and tourism businesses if the Thai baht remains stable. Thailand still remains a value-for-money destination for tourists, with spectacular destinations and hospitality", said Mr Apichai.
Currently, the number of internet bookings worldwide is around 50-60% of total bookings, while more than 70% of travelers searching information online prior to choosing a destination and/or travel service.
Remarks by His Excellency Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand at the Opening Ceremony of the ASEAN e-Travel Mart
March 24, 2011
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Source: ASEAN eTravel Mart release dated 24 March 2011
Credit: Tourism Authority of Thailand (www.tourismthailand.org)
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