Skift Trend Report: The Bright Future of Meetings And Events in Thailand

In a 2018 ranking by the International Congress and Convention Association, Bangkok was listed as one of the world’s top 10 cities for international association meetings for the first time. This report examines the growing success of the destination and looks at how the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is working with the government to cast the spotlight on other designated MICE cities — Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen, Pattaya, and Phuket — beyond Bangkok. It also analyzes how Thailand is duplicating the success of its top five MICE cities in other parts of the nation in a bid to grow the economy by diversifying and distributing income to various regions across the country.

Food and food tourism figure prominently in the Thailand 4.0 economic development plan that is transforming the country. With the rise of food tourism, a significant force in the travel industry, few destinations are as primed to capitalize on the trend as Thailand. This report will look at how tour operators, hotels, and others in the travel sector are rapidly enhancing the ways in which visitors experience the country’s culinary offerings ― and how meeting planners are taking note.

In this report:

• Why Thailand is poised for growth
  
• Meet the new venues capturing meeting planners' attention
  
• Why Thailand's MICE future looks bright
  
• Executive Q&A: Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of TCEB
  
• Trends in meetings and incentives: Why food is more important now than ever before
  
• How to make the authentic accessible for meeting attendees