Safe, Sustainable, Extraordinary: Thailand's New Tourism Promise
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool says safety, sustainability and Thai-ness will shape a quality-first strategy for travellers, investors and students
- Thailand's new tourism strategy is shifting from prioritizing visitor volume to a quality-first approach focused on safety, sustainability, and creating value.
- The new promise is built on providing extraordinary experiences for all visitors, including tourists, investors, and students, by leveraging a unique cultural identity called "Thai-ness."
- "Thai-ness," described as a core brand element of respect and kindness, aims to offer visitors a "healing journey" and position human connection as a new form of luxury.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool says safety, sustainability and Thai-ness will shape a quality-first strategy for travellers, investors and students.
Thailand wants to be judged not by how many visitors it welcomes but by the value they take home and the value tourism creates for communities and the economy, the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said.
Speaking on the CNN Global Perspectives panel "Vantage Point", presented by TAT, Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool outlined a values-led strategy built on safety, sustainability, extraordinary experiences and what she called Thai-ness.
She was in conversation with Anita Mendiratta, Special Adviser to the UN Tourism Secretary-General.
A "surgery" for tourism DNA
Thapanee said Thailand's tourism "DNA" needs "a little bit of surgery" to become what she called "SEXY", a play on words used to summarise the new approach.
The first element is safety and sustainability. Valued customers, she said, need confidence when they travel to Thailand, and that depends on both.
The second is extraordinary experience, which she said is meant for far more than leisure travellers. It is for visitors of every kind, including investors, business people, students, and those drawn by health, wellness and sport.
The governor said Thailand's charm should be presented as something visitors must taste, try, buy, seek and see, as the country has shown at the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok.
Thai-ness: hard to copy
Asked what sets Thailand apart, Thapanee pointed to Thai-ness, which she described as the strong core of the "Amazing Thailand" brand and something very hard for others to copy.
"Thai-ness is not what you do, but who you are," she said.
It is passed from generation to generation, she added, through a simple lesson: respect one another, think before you speak and avoid hurting anyone's feelings.
"We sell Thai-ness," she said, adding that the connections it creates can open opportunities for the wider economy.
She cited a newly released song by Lisa, saying its greeting is more than a "hello": a big smile signals respect for everyone.
"This is why Thailand is different from others," she said.
Mendiratta said Thai-ness is a spirit that shapes how people live, care and build relationships, and that it connects tourism to investment, learning and work. The values celebrated through tourism, she said, therefore, carry wider economic relevance.
From volume to value
Mendiratta noted that Thailand has shifted its focus from visitor numbers to the value and values of tourism in a post-Covid world where both business and leisure travellers want human connection. They take that spirit home, she said, as their greatest souvenir.
Thapanee agreed, saying the question is also what Thailand stands for.
"Thailand is the best place to heal," she said. "Healing is the new luxury."
The focus, she said, extends beyond health and wellness to helping people live a happy life.
She described the visitor experience as a "healing journey". Kindness to a stranger, she said, can leave a lasting mark. "The smallest thing in Thailand can be the deepest memory in your life."
Thapanee said the approach is not TAT's alone. Travel suppliers, stakeholders and the wider tourism ecosystem are working closely with the authority and coordinating their efforts, she said.
