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29 Dec, 2020

A Compendium of Insightful Speeches on Thailand: The Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY

Bangkok — The Covid-19 crisis stifled what was to be a glorious year of celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways International. While 2020 turned out to be a year of commiseration, hitting the lowest point of a probable V-shaped recovery makes it the best time for some introspective soul-searching on the past, present and future of Thai tourism.

As the Asia-Pacific region’s leading Travel & Tourism historian, I believe there is no better country than Thailand to lead the establishment of a post-Covid-19 New Tourism World Order. To make that dream come true, I am proud to make publicly and freely available this unique compendium of 148 authoritative and insightful speeches by former Prime Ministers, Tourism Ministers, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governors, senior executives and officials of Thailand’s tourism fraternity during the period 1996-2014, the Golden Age of Thai Tourism.

Carefully retained over my 40 years of in-depth travel journalism for their historical value, the speeches are designed to achieve the following:

(+) Pay tribute to the former TAT Governors and senior officials for 60 years of stupendous work in making Thailand “The Greatest Story in Global Tourism HiSTORY”.

(+) Facilitate Thailand’s tourism recovery with a better balanced and realistic agenda which capitalises on its strengths, takes advantage of the opportunities, plugs the weaknesses and prepares the industry to face the many looming threats.

(+) Help the emerging generation of entrepreneurs learn the lessons of local, regional and global Travel & Tourism history, with due recognition of both its successes and failures.

(+) Motivate Travel & Tourism forums to raise their game to a higher level of critical thinking, intelligent debate and alternative perspectives.

(+) Empower Thailand to take the lead in crafting a New Global Tourism Magna Carta.

I compliment the many Travel & Tourism academics, researchers, consultants and policy-makers who will give due credit to this effort and not lift the valuable information without proper attribution.

Click on the images to download the PDF files.