On 29 October 2024, Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, President of NXPO, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Thongchai Suwonsichon, Director of the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC), held discussions with Prof. Dr. Dai Bin, President of the China Tourism Academy; Ms. Chang Yumeng, Counsellor for Cultural Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Thailand; and Dr. Adith Chairattananon, Secretary-General of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA).
Prof. Dr. Dai Bin shared insights into China’s national tourism development policy, which aims to establish China as a global leader in tourism by leveraging strengths and addressing areas for improvement. He highlighted initiatives such as building a comprehensive tourism database, including travel information, tourist behavior data, and fostering international tourism partnerships. This visit to Thailand served to explore Thailand’s higher education policy for cultivating skilled professionals in tourism and to discuss collaboration in tourism research, innovation, and exchanges of personnel between Thailand and China.
Dr. Surachai emphasized that the Thai government viewed tourism as a key economic driver and a form of “soft power”. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) supports this industry through two main avenues:
- Developing skilled professionals for the tourism industry and related sectors through higher education institutions and affiliated agencies under MHESI.
Funding research and innovation in tourism by supporting studies on local cultures, developing digital technology for tourism platforms, bringing Thai hospitality services to international standards, and promoting carbon-neutral tourism initiatives. This work is carried out in partnership with public and private organizations, including the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and ATTA
In addition, Ms. Nirada Werasopon, Assistant to the President of NXPO, presented the E-Commercial and Innovation Platform (ECIP), an on-going initiative by NXPO in collaboration with universities in China.
This meeting marked an important step in strengthening Thailand-China cooperation to foster sustainable tourism in both nations.