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Destination Thailand 32 MAR-APR 2019 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MCMAG-ASIA.COM Thailand has enjoyed an enviable tourism growth compared to its neighbours in the region, notching 38 million visitors in 2018, which translates to an increase of 7% over the previous year. Against the recent trend of falling tourism spend, Thailand instead attracted 10% increase in tourist dollars, hitting 2 trillion baht (US$62 billion). It has also fired up two new engines to spur growth in new industries, prioritising innovation and technology in fields such as automotive, electronics, advanced agriculture, food processing and tourism, all while breaking into new industries such as robotics and digitalisation, automation, aviation and logistics, biofuels and biochemicals, and medicine. co-creator, partner, collaborator and thought leader with both government and private sectors to create an ideal ecosystem, says Nooch. "Among partners, being transparent is key," emphasised Nooch. And there's perhaps no better showcase of this than when Bangkok hosted the SITE 2019 Global Conference in early January. The global incentive association debuted its first Thailand chapter from January 10 to 14 to a record delegation of 375 incentive travel professionals from 30 countries. To pull off the event, an initial host committee of 13 members was put together, which was later streamlined into an agile working team of four to speed up the decision making process. Enticing regional business The country is also thriving on a growing volume of regional meetings and events that is helping to sharpen its expertise. With MICE arrivals from the neighbouring ASEAN rising by 58% in 2018, Nooch is seeing opportunities to attract an even greater share of business. In January, TCEB launched the ASEAN MaxiMICE campaign to source for more meetings and incentives from top- performing markets, such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore. It lowered the qualification criteria to This new wave of development is good news for the business events industry, as it opens the doors for new opportunities and events to Thailand. Catalyst for change At the driver's seat of these changes is the country's promotion and development agency, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). Rigorous marketing and promotion over the years has stepped up the quality and volume of events to the country, and this year, it eyes an ambitious target of some 1.4 million business travellers. "TCEB is deepening its roles from being a mere supporter to becoming a co-creator of business opportunities," explained Nooch Homrossukhon, TCEB's director of meetings and incentives department. It's no silver bullet to success. Instead, the agency recognises its roles as a The cultivation and expansion of new industries is spurring new heights for business events. WORDS NAOMI NEOH A new chapter for the books A Thai specialty restaurant at Capella Bangkok. "TCEB is deepening its roles from being a mere supporter to becoming a co-creator of business opportunities." — NOOCH HOMROSSUKHON, DIRECTOR OF MEETINGS AND INCENTIVES DEPARTMENT, TCEB