Thailand to merge tourism units

MICE News
Friday, 24 July 2015
Five Thai organisations dealing with tourism marketing and development are to be restructured in an integration program designed to boost efficiency - including through more robust management and improved usage of resources.

The merger will bring together the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Tourism Authority of Thailand, Department of Tourism, Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration and Chiang Mai’s Pinkanakorn Development Agency.

It was approved by the National Reform Council, according to Kongkrit Hiranyakit, spokesman for the council’s committee on agricultural, commercial, tourism and services reform, who said the change was “crucial” because of current management structural weaknesses that did not allow optimum efficiency in promoting tourism.

Tourism was growing strongly, he noted.

The integrated 'tourism super agency' will come under the tourism policy committee, overseen by the Office of the Prime Minister. 

This committee will itself be tightened up and become more focused, although further depth is planned to be added through the involvement of community representatives.

Some of the existing agencies already answer direct to the PM’s Office including TCEB, which is a very active MICE market development entity.

Thai pm Prayut Chan-o-cha already gives tourism a high priority in terms of both economic value and Thailand’s engagement with the world. 

The merger will require a law change because Tourism Authority of Thailand is currently a state enterprise and will need to be migrated to government agency status.

- from Kelvin King in Bangkok

Thailand to merge tourism units

MICE News
Friday, 24 July 2015
Five Thai organisations dealing with tourism marketing and development are to be restructured in an integration program designed to boost efficiency - including through more robust management and improved usage of resources.

The merger will bring together the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Tourism Authority of Thailand, Department of Tourism, Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration and Chiang Mai’s Pinkanakorn Development Agency.

It was approved by the National Reform Council, according to Kongkrit Hiranyakit, spokesman for the council’s committee on agricultural, commercial, tourism and services reform, who said the change was “crucial” because of current management structural weaknesses that did not allow optimum efficiency in promoting tourism.

Tourism was growing strongly, he noted.

The integrated 'tourism super agency' will come under the tourism policy committee, overseen by the Office of the Prime Minister. 

This committee will itself be tightened up and become more focused, although further depth is planned to be added through the involvement of community representatives.

Some of the existing agencies already answer direct to the PM’s Office including TCEB, which is a very active MICE market development entity.

Thai pm Prayut Chan-o-cha already gives tourism a high priority in terms of both economic value and Thailand’s engagement with the world. 

The merger will require a law change because Tourism Authority of Thailand is currently a state enterprise and will need to be migrated to government agency status.

- from Kelvin King in Bangkok