The post Revolutionising Travel: How AI and Tech Enhance Personalisation and Trust appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

From AI and automation to integrated booking ecosystems, technology is reinventing the way travel brands engage customers. This session brings together travel tech leaders to discuss personalisation, operational efficiency, platform connectivity, and the digital tools reshaping service.

We bring you excerpts from the panel discussion on the topic ‘Connected Journeys: How Tech is Rebuilding Trust, Speed & Loyalty‘  taking place at TDM Global Summit Singapore 2025.

The session is being moderated by Edward Wright, CMP, regional vice president, Asia, Hospitality Hong Kong, Amadeus, Panellists include: Sanghamitra Bose, vice president traveller care, American Express Global Business Travel; Deepshikha Sehgal, head of lodging, round & sea – APAC, Sabre;  Steven Hopkinson, SVP APAC, Shiji,  Johnson Ong, regional director SEA (ex. Malaysia & Thailand) and Oceania, Trip.com Group

The travel industry has always been about connection—connecting people to places, cultures, and experiences. But in today’s digital-first world, that connection increasingly depends on technology. From AI-driven personalisation to integrated booking ecosystems, tech is not just a support tool—it’s the backbone of how we deliver trust, speed, and loyalty to travellers.

The panellists explored how innovations in automation, data, and platform connectivity are reshaping the traveller experience.

Personalisation & Trust

With AI-driven personalisation becoming the norm, Edward queried the panellists on how  travel brands can ensure that these experiences feel authentic and not intrusive? How transparency in data usage can play a role in rebuilding traveller trust. 

Trust is absolutely critical

Johnson said: “So whatever that we recommend to the guests, it is recommend to our users based on the information that actually the guests have acquired from us. So whatever we are giving back to them is actually based on the users’ behaviour, their historical bookings. They have trusted us on our platform. You create something that when the next time you search for it, it’s relatable to them and not a booker. And then we are going to give them the actual items that they can click on, not just giving them a list of like 10, 20 choices, but you know, based on accurate information and which are the ones that they can click on.”

“And I think we want to respect, you know, when they sign up to us, make sure they are not interjected from the shop side. But all in all, I would say that they have trusted us with the information that we may go use again and we will do anything we need to do on their side. Trust is absolutely critical.”

Make the journey simple…

Sanghamitra added: “The travel experience in the business travel space is largely covered by a strong framework. And that framework is defined by the client organisation in terms of their travel programme goals, their duty of care, their preferred supply of content, and what they want to basically drive with the programme as a policy. And so the ask for all business travel companies is how do you create a personalised, seamless travel experience for the traveller within this framework? Some of the areas that we focused in on and used AI for is to keep the journey simple, to make it seamless, to also use the data. So the good things that we’ve got great and protected personal travel profiles.”

All of that together builds up that level of personalisation and simplifies the complexity which exists in business travel. And I think we’ve all probably heard the saying that GDS is dead and travel agents are no longer to stay with us. And of course, that is absolutely not the case post-COVID. Duty of care is becoming incredibly, incredibly important.

 AI fuelling the growth of next-generation personalisation

Deepshikha added: “And when we talk about meaningful personalisation, they have to be built on accurate, extensive data. They have to be built on a foundational layer of privacy, you know, that the data is secured. And I think when, because your data, and you talked about, you know, the confidence and the trust of the end-user as well. When your data is as powerful as the tools that interpret it and as secure or as trusted as the systems that are holding it or are safeguarding it. So if your personalised or personalisation is built on all these factors, then meaningful personalisation becomes more of a value exchange than a privacy risk. And at least at Sabre, this is exactly the foundation that we’re following.”

“So recently we announced the launch of our agent AI, the MCP server, which carries 50 petabytes of data. And to put in context, 50 petabytes is actually all of the written work of humanity can be rewritten many times over in every language. So that’s the depth of the travel data cloud that Sabre has. Then on top of that is a layer of what we call as Sabre IQ, which is our personalisation engine. And on top of that sits the Assurance IQ layer, where the data is transparent. The explainability is there. The context is there. And to all of these ecosystems, we apply anonymisation. We apply encryption and aggregation.”

“So there is safety component and there is transparency. Because it’s very important for the user to know they are able to and more willing to share more data. But the question is, what’s in it for me? And as long as the partners are able to communicate the value clearly and able to cut through the noise and pass through all the options that are there, provide them the meaningful options, I think, you know, and travellers are more willing to share personal information. ”

Talking about bottlenecks, Edward remembered the time when technology in hotels used to be servers locked in basements, never to be seen or maybe to be seen once in a blue moon. He queried Stephen on what happened in the last five years with regards to cloud automation and overall investment in technology.

Moving to the cloud is inevitable

Steven elaborated on what they are doing for the actual team members at the hotel. He said: “We’ve got a company called ReviewPro. It’s all about online reputational management. But we’ve layered with AI, so therefore the hotel staff now have to respond in a very articulate manner. It doesn’t auto-respond, but we don’t think that’s what hotels are meant for. It’s about how do you help the teams to be able to take the responses coming in, to be able to respond in such a way which is articulate and is on message and related to the brand. So it’s about helping the teams, but also multiple languages. So if I’m working at a hotel in Bangkok and I don’t necessarily know English that well and somebody’s put a review on booking.com or on Google or whatever, I want to be able to respond.”

But now I can see it in my local language, I can respond in my local language and then put it back into English and give it back to the person who actually wrote the original response. So that’s taking AI in a very real sense and helping the team members to actually be able to get that message across. So I don’t want to hijack that, but when you talk about AI, I’ll give you a real example of how we really help the hotels.”

“And I think in terms of where we’re moving cloud, everything we’re seeing, everything is now moving to the cloud. Everything that we’re doing, all our solutions are cloud-based. And obviously we’ve just done a recent deal with Amadeus on a global basis, which is taking what Amadeus is doing with their central reservation solutions, plugging it into our probably management solutions to be able to take everything to the next level, to make it really easy for the hotels to be able to deploy, understand what is happening at the CRS level, at the EMS level, get all that different points of sound in the hotel. Everything is cloud-orientated from that view. Clearly there’s a lot of people who are still on legacy-based systems, and now they’re going through that migration to get onto the cloud. It’s inevitable that’s where we’re all moving.”

2026 to see shift from Gen AI to Agentic AI: Planning to Bookability

Deepshikha added: ” I think we will see 2026 is going to be that leap year where the travel industry will shift from GenAI to more GenTech AI or Agentic AI. GenAI has been more about the planning and the ideation stage. GenTech AI is going to be more about the execution stage. So today, if you go on any of the AI channels, you can do the searches. There will be recommendations. But what lacks is the bookability. And I think GenTech AI or Agentic AIis going to bridge that gap to bookability. But the big question is, are the systems, the hotels or the hoteliers are ready for it?

It’s a similar change or a similar journey that the industry has gone through when it came from, when it adopted RMSs, revenue management systems. There was that fear, right, that the systems are going to overtake and there’s going to be automation when people go out to the jobs. But the reality is technology has always become a co-pilot. The humans still stay in the pilot.”

Edward queried Johnson on: “Are we going to have agents? Am I going to have an Android agent helping me go on a trip to connect my internet experience, whether that’s on a ferry, plane, train? Is that where you see the setting?

Johnson said: “But right now, we are seeing that engaging with our trip genie, which is our travel planner and assistant AI. They are engaging us during the trip as well, asking real-time questions. And through it, because of the connectivity, the APIs are helping our partners. We are able to help them make reservations, whether it’s restaurants, spas, hotels, flights. I think over the last six months, we have seen the usage of our trip genie. We are seeing more than 200% growth in the conversation. People are engaging us with over 200 countries. I think people are getting more and more comfortable using AI in their holidays and travel plans. And I think as an industry player, we need to keep it up in order to make it up, to catch up with the speed of our customer behaviour.

“And I think we’ve seen a lot of brands embracing everything from digital concierges. We’re hearing now about Whisper. So when you actually go ahead and call a reservation agent, they’ll be able to understand the intent, motion, and be able to prompt an upsell during the actual individual conversation all the way through automating the entire conversation automatically.”

So technology and AI are your partners for growth, embrace AI but be selective!

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The post Luxury Travel Redefined: Sustainability, Personalisation, and Hidden Gems appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Luxury is evolving. Today’s high-end travellers expect sustainability, privacy, and deeply personalised experiences — all powered by invisible tech. This panel will reveal how luxury brands are using data, design, and digital to redefine exclusivity and future-proof their guest experience.

We bring you excerpts from the panel discussion on the topic ‘The Future of Luxury: Personalisation, Purpose & Seamless Tech’  taking place at TDM Global Summit Singapore 2025.

The session is being moderated by Phil Hoffmann AM, founder and executive director, Phil Hoffmann Travel, Panellists include: Francesco Galli Zugaro, owner, Aqua Expeditions; Krystal Tan H L, founder & director, Blue Sky Escapes; Paul Gorman, general manager, Luxury Escapes; Christine Galle, founder and CEO, Heavens Portfolio

Experiences driving the market

Elaborating on what they have seen post-COVID in their respective areas, Christine Galle said:  “The first wave was the travel rush, everybody wanted to get out. The second wave was of more settled travel. In the  first wave, it really did not matter what it cost by the second wave, people were okay with a higher cost for better experience driven activities. And now in the third wave, its moved to what are my ‘take-aways’ from this travel.”

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The post Leadership in Travel: Nurturing Talent and Embracing Technology for Future Success appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

In a time of rapid digital change, travel and hospitality leaders are being called to drive innovation while keeping people at the centre. This session explores how GMs and executives are leading tech adoption — from AI to CRM — while building agile, high-performing teams ready for the future

We bring you excerpts from the panel discussion on the topic ‘Human-Led, Tech-Enabled: Leading Travel Through Transformation‘  taking place at TDM Global Summit Singapore 2025.

The session is being moderated by Gary Bowerman, co-founder, High-Yield Tourism, Panellists include: John Flood, chief executive officer, Archipelago Hotels; Gavin Faull, chairman and president, Swiss-Belhotel International; Suyin Lee, managing director, Discova (A Flight Centre Company) and Yingtse Chen Ouw, deputy COO, Asia – Premium Midscale & Economy, Accor

Gary Bowerman led the front with “In post-pandemic Asian markets, the entire industry is both transforming and fragmenting. How is your role as a leader changing accordingly?”

Yingtse Chen Ouw said that: “I think chat GPT is seeing 800 million active users, right, and more than 20 more percent willing to sort of have that travel journey that leads through chat so on the other hand, our industry is still operating on legacy models, even owner investment and teams that are, I think, adopting technology different paces. But I think that, paradoxically, is also the same thing that makes me excited, because I think we’re at a time now where it’s that very technology that’s actually going to be enabling us to achieve what we’ve never been able to achieve before.”

Time fragmentation

On time fragmentation  John Flood added: “We spend a lot of time in relationship building in all the different segments, one needs to be continuously learning, training remains an essential aspect. The managers seem not to be up to speed and we are training them. ”

Yingtse Chen Ouw added: “As leaders, I think we are starting to have to operate in a space where you have to make quick decisions with not necessarily complete data, which re emphasises why technology is even more relevant, because it’s almost setting a point where that volatility is not quite allowing human intuition alone to be sufficient for us in making certain decisions.”

Talent Management

Suyin Lee on her vision of leadership said that: “I’m a Gen X. I’m kind of critically endangered in my organization, so I’ve had to educate myself a lot about AI and tech and and more so around where we play in the travel ecosystem. I think from a leadership perspective, we’ve seen a huge generational shift, and then post pandemic, we’ve lost a ton of experience and talent in our industry, so we’ve had to really change the way that we look at talent management, and for me, that is about trying to lead with greater curiosity. So I think to me to be to become an effective leader in this day and age, I’ve really got to keep up with tech and and really get in the heads of Gen Z’s and millennials.”

Bowerman further looked for their views on: AI Strategy, Automation, Talent Management or Shifting Traveller Expectations – which will provide the biggest challenges for you and your organisation in the coming years, and why?

Suyin Lee stated: “We’ve almost stopped using that narrative, because who’s to say that the job that I want in five years time is going to exist in its current form or exist at all? So I think to Gary’s point today, it’s about that “you can teach the hard skills, but you have to nurture the soft skills“. So for us, it’s really looking at giving a younger generation of talent those skills to learn more about themselves. So it’s about sense of self, purpose, identity, confidence and EQ  and then sense of others so you know, collaboration skills are so important, collaboration, communication, you know, leadership skills, and then really the last part is the sense of the world, how do we just inspire them to become more. So really, for me, that that investment in human capital is really around the soft skills, which you know are the building blocks of any career right?

Equip, grow and empower with AI

Yingtse Chen Ouw went on to say:  “I think it was Salesforce that did a study recently, and they found that 80% of employees do find that technology, particularly AI, is what makes their job creative and interesting. Over 70% of those employees felt that they were expecting their  employers to train them in AI. At a core, you know, we have these three pillars, which we call, like, equip, grow and empower. And so I think, you know, many of us know in this room that with AI, again, there are different personas, right? In fact, just like five personas, right? You have the maximalists, you have sort of the underground workers, and then you have, like the rebels, right, who are just against technology, against AI. But, you know, in our core we we have a plan, for everyone.”

Adding on how they excel in their workforce, Wood said: “We’ve divided it up into two kind of sections, like budget hotels and luxury hotels. So we try and figure out which person is more geared towards either, for the budget hotels we use the ones that are more high tech, low touch points, you know, basically, they almost don’t have to deal with customers, but in budget hotels that are more high tech, low touch points. Then there are other people who are, you know, more towards the luxury side, tech supported but much higher touch points. So, for us, you know, finding out where people sit in between. So like a lot of the the training modules we’ve developed these days are much more modular so they do like small modular trainings and get certificates for them and that helps them to develop throughout the organization, instead of just traditionally in the hotels.”

Keep motivation high

Gavin Faull feels that people have different levels of concentration. But the main thing is leadership and motivation to get people moving and get people committed. But also, the roles are all interrelated. “We’re doing, a
lot of outsourcing, housekeeping.  I’ve got a big IT team and based in Indonesia. and they’re doing all the support for the Middle East, and also for Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, so it’s a whole different different approach, and people will move between the two, two sectors of actually working on the job and being outside. This also helps productivity, helps focus and helps profits.” He said.

Yingtse Chen Ouw  reiterated that Connectivity and tech are very important for all.  On customer expectation she adds: “Asian markets are changing very fast. Customer expectations, definitely, you know, it’s not just what they want to buy, but then how they search, book and consume travel. So as a DMC, it’s not only about the product creation or the experience creation, which you know more and more we need to to use that as a differentiator. So historically, DMCs are asset light, but now we’re finding that we’re investing more and more into hospitality assets, or more into our community, so that we can create something that is unique for our guests”

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The post Key currency in Travel is ‘Service’: James Hogan appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

James Hogan

Speaking at TDM Global Summit Singapore 2025, in his keynote  James Hogan, chairman, Knighthood Global Limited stated  that the key currency in travel is service. Its about people service and change’

He added, “The Industry Today is  a volatile geo-political environment,  highly competitive and fragmented industry, continually challenged on rising costs,  huge capacity and manpower constraints, there is a need for continuous investment, air travel has become commoditised, accelerated technology changes and AI, subject to connected global risks, experience not best in class for all.

The customers need and want to fly, safety and consistency is important, its demanding, price conscious knowledgeable and discerning, part of a socially connected, global market place, widely diverse expectations and needs.

He added that what really makes a difference is “Building an exceptional service band best in class and experience for every customer. Customers must be at the heart of the brand. Exceptional service starts with a total commitment to excellence and customer centric vision with a service mindset across the whole customer journey. Brand values of empathy, kindness, respect and generosity are essential for authentic service, each passenger is a valued guest, not a ticket number.”

Elaborating on understanding your customer he said: “Critical to meaningful innovation and a differentiated exceptional customer experience.  Information and data  are now easily accessible in digitally connected environment Active customer dialogue creates opportunities for understanding for continuous engagement with employees at the front line, ”

“Innovation is key. Win-win for customers and the business Optimises resource use and meets sound investment criteria It delivers the desired effect – exceptional customer experience and will be the decisive factor in customer retention, It helps create improved revenue and in time financial sustainability. ”

He concluded by adding that: “Service excellence is a journey not a destination. The quest for exceptional never stops
Customers are a perpetual source of inspiration and their feedback fuels new innovation. Actively seek feedback and ideas from customers and employees. Listen with curiosity not as a process, complaints are opportunities for learning and growth
Celebrate success stories and share best practices. After all in the hospitality business there is never room for complacency.”

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The post Unlocking a $1.5 Trillion MICE Industry with AI Innovation appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Navodit Srivastava

Speaking at the TDM Global Summit Singapore 2025, Navodit Srivastava, hospitality cloud leader, Asia Pacific for CVent stated that: ” The MICE industry is heading towards a trillion dollar economy globally, and it’s growing at eight to 10% growth rate on an annual basis. That means, in next three to five years, we’re going to be 1.3 to $1.5 trillion industry.”

“76% of planners are Gen Z or Millennials.These generations expect digital-first, speed, and transparency. They prefer self-service, conversational interfaces, and instant answers. AI aligns perfectly with their expectations. If we don’t adapt to them, we lose relevance.

Why does AI matter in hospitality right now?
On the same he added, “Because for the first time in decades, we’re seeing a transformation that cuts across every department, every process, and every guest interaction. AI isn’t just another technology trend — it’s the new foundation for how hospitality will operate, grow, and compete. According to the 2025 Skift Research report, 76% of hotel executives believe AI is fundamentally changing our industry, and 79% already report positive business impact from AI adoption across multiple functions. That’s not future-looking — that’s happening today.”

“You think about marketing. They want it for better prospecting, better leads. You talk about sales. You want to connect to more relevant planners or booking into your markets and not booking into you talk about operations. We want automation every aspect of our business. AI is that connecting here, and it is getting smarter and smarter as we feed AI with content and data.”

Future ready, AI assisted Events and MICE

“Planner describes the event, AI will build it, system auto-sources venues, compares, negotiates. Execution tools handle rooming, diagrams, BEOs. AI gives insights, predicts success, personalises service. All of this leaves humans to focus
on relationships and strategy — not admin.”

“Our industry is constantly changing, facing new challenges, And that’s where AI shines — helping us adapt in real time to an ever-shifting market. Not in the future – right now! It IS the most effective way to stay competitive and to keep winning business. So how do we thrive in that kind of environment? The leaders who win are the ones who adapt, who innovate, and who never lose sight of the fundamentals.” concludes Srivastava

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The post Tourism 2040: Driving the next bound of quality growth for Singapore appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Ong Huey Hong

Speaking at the TDM Global Summit Singapore 2025, Ong Huey Hong, assistant chief executive industry development and chief sustainability officer, Singapore Tourism Board elaborated on Tourism 2040: Driving the next bound of quality growth for Singapore. She said ” This event meditated our visions of becoming  the region’s premier destinations for high carnival business events, we wish to play host to many more such events, establishing ourselves as the destination of choice for industry’s most significant conversations. Bring together the most influential decision makers like ourselves and generate substantial economic impact.”

Globally, studies have pointed out that the MICE market is projected to double in value in the next decade, and Asia Pacific is one of the fastest growing markets.

“It is also about creating sustainable growth that benefits both visitors and our local communities today, the hotel industry enjoyed the highest average room rates in Asian cities at $269,  international visitor  arrivals reached 12.9 million, tourism receipts remain very robust at 15.7 billion in the first half of 2025.”

Their vision aligns with the Singapore Green Plans 2030 and their net zero commitment by 2050 becoming a city in nature with large experiences come with small footprints, benefiting both locals and visitors.

“She said our MICE industry shows commitment through the sustainability roadmap, with targets for six purpose built MICE venues and 80% of Singapore association of convention and exhibition organizers and suppliers to attain sustainability certification by 2025 we are on track to achieve these ambitious targets.”

Singapore ranks first in Asia and 13 globally in 2025 global destination Sustainability Index.

‘The future of tourism will be shared by our collective commitment to innovation, sustainability and excellence. Together, we can create a tourism industry that not only joins economic growth, but also delivers exceptional experiences and set new standards for what travel can and should do,” she concluded.

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The post Ho Chi Minh City promotes Vietnamese tourism in Denmark appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

As a way of attracting high-spending international travellers, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism recently staged the Vietnam Tourism Promotion Programme in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday, 19th November.

Made possible through a collaboration with Vietnam Airlines, the event is a key tourism promotion activity aimed at showcasing an image of Vietnam as a dynamic, friendly, and culturally rich destination to international audiences, whilst officially announcing the launch of the direct flight route between Ho Chi Minh City and Copenhagen. 

This is the first non-stop air service connecting Vietnam and Denmark, opening up new opportunities for tourism cooperation, trade, and cultural exchange between the two nations, as well as strengthening connections between Vietnam and Northern Europe.

Taking the show on the road

As part of the Copenhagen programme, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Vietnam Airlines, the Hanoi Department of Tourism, and the Saigontourist Group are co-hosting a tourism promotion roadshow, introducing the distinctive product ecosystem and signature travel experiences of the New Ho Chi Minh City, a dynamic, innovative, and globally integrated destination built on three key pillars:

• Ho Chi Minh City – a financial, cultural, and international tourism center, representing creativity, a dynamic business environment, and premium urban experiences in the region;
• Binh Duong Area – a center for industry and MICE tourism, developing high-quality products in convention, trade, exhibition, and business tourism, strengthening the link between the economy and the tourism sector;
• Ba Ria – Vung Tau Area – a coastal economic and resort destination, renowned for beach tourism, water sports, and high-end leisure, enriching the city’s tourism portfolio and expanding the visitor experience.

A new route to Europe

According to an official statement, Vietnam Airlines will officially launch its Ho Chi Minh City – Copenhagen route on 15th December, with a frequency of three round-trip flights per week operated by the modern Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. 

The new route will reduce travel time between Vietnam and Denmark to approximately 12 hours, offering passengers a seamless and comfortable travel experience.

At the same time, this direct route marks a strategic step in Vietnam Airlines’ expansion of its European network, serving as a key bridge for tourism, trade, and cultural exchange between Vietnam and Northern Europe. 

It likewise reaffirms Ho Chi Minh City’s position as Vietnam’s leading economic, cultural, and tourism hub, a vibrant regional destination and an aviation gateway connecting Southeast Asia with Europe.

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism deputy director Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu pointed out how the launch of the direct flight to Copenhagen holds special significance in reinforcing the City’s role as Vietnam’s international tourism gateway and its largest tourist reception center. 

The new route will also create favourable conditions for expanding connections and attracting visitors from the Nordic market to Vietnam and vice versa.

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The post Dida’s Frank Wöller: China, Europe, and Russia remain biggest source markets for Thailand appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

AI-first travel tech company Dida’s vice-president for business development in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa  Frank Wöller recently shared his insights regarding Thailand’s inbound tourism scene in a talk presented during Dida Engage: Thailand on Thursday, 20th November.

Throughout the talk, Wöller presented several points to ponder for the coming year, with particular regard to key markets, arrival numbers, as well as the direction in which Thai tourism seems to be heading in 2026.

Wöller opened by saying: “So, here’s the big picture so far, and these are numbers as of September 2025: Thailand has welcomed roughly 28 million international visitors. Of these, Europe, China and Russia more or less account for one third of the total. I think this already shows the importance of these three markets’ and one can probably say it’s kind of a triple engine driving Thailand’s tourism inbound success from overseas markets.”

He pointed out that, rather than be in direct competition with each other, these three markets are somewhat complementary as each has unique and notable characteristics.

He said: “If we just look at Europe, they prefer quite long stays and have a high average spend. China, obviously, is more about scale because the largest number of inbound visitors from overseas markets comes from them. On the other hand, Russia, despite all the current challenges within the geopolitical environment, is very stable and very focused on resort destinations.”

Growing markets

Wöller likewise pointed out that all of the key European source markets have been growing into Thailand throughout 2025, albeit at their own individual pace.

Choosing Poland as a key example, he elaborated further: Poland is one of the fastest growing economies in Europe. A large middle segment of its population is increasingly willing to spend for overseas travel, and we are also addressing it and other markets now.”

European travellers also opt to book longer stays, choosing to travel outside of the standard peak seasons throughout the year.

With regard to China, Wöller noted a slightly renewed momentum as of the current quarter, and this may be construed as a positive thing for the Thai tourism sector, given the uneven recovery of Chinese arrival numbers post-pandemic.

As for Russia, Wöller noted this particular market’s resilience despite political unrest on a global scale on top of economic instability.

As he puts it: “Russian travellers are very resilient despite everything going on in the world: they can travel, and they are willing to travel. Thailand is a super attractive destination for Russians, particularly in winter, as they come here to escape the harsh winters they have in many parts of their country.”

According to Wöller, these three markets bring significant value to the Thai tourism industry, and their performance come 2026 is something that travel professionals in the country ought to keep an eye on.

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The post TAT’s Chiravadee Khunsub presents Thailand’s tourism agenda for 2026 appeared first on TD (Travel Daily Media) Travel Daily Media.

Chiravadee Khunsub, deputy director for international marketing in Europe, the Americas, Middle East, and Africa at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) presented the country’s tourism goals for 2026 yesterday, 20th November.

Khunsub presented the agenda at the opening of travel tech firm Dida’s event Dida Engage: Thailand at the Siam Pavali Grand Theatre at Siam Paragon.

According to Khunsub, her mandate for speaking at the event was to position Thailand as a high-level, trusted, and year-round destination, particularly for long-haul travellers in the coming year.

She declared in her remarks: “Travel has made a remarkable comeback, so we see it in terms of numbers and also in terms of the revenues that Thailand earned in 2024. This year, we have also had a good number of tourists, especially from the long-haul market. Our revenue is definitely increasing, as well.”

Khunsub mentioned that Thailand began to achieve the quality and value of its current tourism offerings as far back as three years ago, showing surprising resilience and adaptability despite the ravages of the pandemic, current geopolitical and geoeconomic issues, rapid technological advancement, as well as the impact of climate change.

Current trends in Thai tourism

The deputy director for international marketing likewise presented several trends currently holding sway with regard to Thai tourism on both domestic and global levels.

She said: “Firstly, travel will be hyper-personalised. Second, technology is a big player as data, AI, automation and digital identities shape each journey from entry to exit. Third, sustainability is no longer optional.”

Khunsub explained that regulations such as the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU-CSDDD) and global carbon reporting have transformed the way airlines, hotels, and destinations operate in response to the heightened clamour for sustainable tourism. 

In which case, going local in terms of tourism is gaining greater appeal and acceptance, given how travellers are on the lookout for authentic experiences that not only support local communities, but also preserve a country’s cultural heritage whilst directly benefitting grassroots economies.

Khunsub continued: “Fourth, wellness and longevity will drive a trillion-dollar global market. People will travel to feel better, live longer, and reconnect with themselves. It’s a trend that aligns with Thailand’s own emphasis on health and wellness. Fifth, a growing number of travellers will opt to work and travel simultaneously through their work-from-anywhere lifestyle.”

She also pointed out how global tourism is becoming increasingly competitive, and Thailand needs to amp up its game, given how its neighbours are stepping up theirs.

Khunsub said: “Travellers are now more aware, more informed, and more environmentally conscious than ever. Within this decade, the tourism sector becomes a world where Thailand must shift from volume to value, from good to exceptional, and to becoming a destination with heart, soul, and purpose.”

The vision for 2026

TAT forecasts that up to 34.9 million international visitors will be making their way to Thailand in the coming year.

The agency likewise expects growth in the sector to proceed gradually and steadily, reflecting a focus on quality rather than a rapid spike in quantity.

With regard to revenue, Thailand’s 2026 target stands at 1.6 trillion baht from international tourism alone and 2.8 trillion baht in total thanks to domestic tourism as Khunsub predicts over 210 million domestic trips, prioritising revenue per visitor rather than raw headcount with an emphasis on long stays as opposed to short low-yield trips.

This would result in a contribution of around eight percent to Thailand’s total revenue for 2026. , contributing around eight percent to the national economy.

With these numbers in mind, Khunsub presented that TAT’s campaign for the coming year will centre on the theme Amazing Thailand: Healing is the New Luxury.

The theme reflects a profound shift in traveller behaviour wherein luxury is no longer defined by price, but by peace, well-being, authenticity, experience, and time.

Khunsub declared: “Thailand is uniquely positioned to lead this movement. Thailand can be more than a destination; we can be a global centre for wellness and longevity. We can be a creative and cultural powerhouse. We can be a hub of themes, sports, festivals, and global events.”

She added that it is important for Thailand to become a regional aviation and logistics hub.

Also, as the future of tourism depends on people, Thailand is investing in service excellence, digital skills, public-private collaboration, and innovation to elevate the entire sector.

Khunsub said: “If we look ahead, inclusive tourism is very important. This is a kind of nation-building, so this part is very important as it is the challenge that we are facing now. But this is also an opportunity for us to grow stronger, to become a Thailand that is not just a top destination, but a destination with heart.”

An evolving destination

For Khunsub, Thailand could transform itself over time into a destination characterised by zero-carbon / low-carbon travel, where every experience is seamless and personalised.

She said: “Thailand can become a place where there are thriving communities that collaborate on the type of tourism where nature is restored and not depleted; where every visitor feels the warmth, the creativity, and generosity of the Thai people.”

In which case, Khunsub sees the need for a general call to action with regard to a collaborative approach towards the future development of Thai tourism.

As she puts it: “The future of Thai tourism will not be written by one agency or by one leader. It will be written together by the government, industry, communities, global partners, and the people of Thailand. We have creativity, we have culture, we have talent, and we have the spirit of very high hospitality.

Khunsub called on the audience to support the 2026 Healing is the New Luxury campaign, moving forward with confidence, collaboration, and conviction.

She concluded by saying: “Let us create a future where Thailand remains not only amazing, but inspiring, meaningful, sustainable, and truly unforgettable.”

The post TAT’s Chiravadee Khunsub presents Thailand’s tourism agenda for 2026 appeared first on Travel Daily Media.

Source: traveldailymedia