Name: Ms. Jittima Sukpalin
Title: Executive Director, The Americas Region Department
Company, city: Tourism Authority of Thailand; Bangkok, Thailand
Number of employees: 30
Recent project: Destination Wedding Planner Congress in Phuket, May 2017; Thailand Travel Mart+ 2017 in Chiang Mai
First Job: Marketing officer, marketing publicity division, marketing services department
Little-known fact about you: I bring more than 15 years of marketing communications experience alongside my broader marketing expertise.
Your Business
What innovations/initiatives do you foresee in the industry over the next years? Covering Canada, the United States and Latin America, we see social media continuing to shape how potential visitors discover Thailand. Influencers and travel bloggers will have growing influence in shaping travel decisions. Millennials represent a key audience: they make up a large portion of travelers who seek authentic experiences, are open to long-haul trips to the ASEAN region and Thailand, and are more likely to travel solo. Online platforms and emerging digital technologies will increasingly influence booking behavior, destination research and in-destination experiences.
Best career advice you’ve received: Stay curious and keep learning—especially about new trends and technologies.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the field? Think creatively and don’t be afraid to challenge conventional ideas. Many solutions become possible when you look beyond the obvious.
Jittima Sukpalin as a Traveler
Favorite travel memory or story: Visiting the pyramids in Egypt 25 years ago left a deep impression: it reminded me of the remarkable achievements of past civilizations and how human creativity can shape history.
One travel tip you cannot live without: Avoid booking the last flight of the day. If delays or cancellations occur, you risk being stranded overnight.
Best advice for business travelers: Share information with your team. When everyone is informed, the group can adapt smoothly if one person encounters a problem and others need to continue the trip.
About Tourism Authority of Thailand
What can premium travelers expect from a visit to Thailand? Thailand offers a wide variety of premium experiences. Travelers can choose luxury mountain retreats in the north, private beachfront resorts on the southern and eastern coasts, modern high-rise hotels in Bangkok, or intimate boutique stays in one of our 12 hidden-gem towns. With two coastlines—the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand—beaches and warm seas are available year-round.
Gastronomy ranges from vibrant street food to fine dining, award-winning restaurants and special events with celebrity chefs. Activities for premium travelers include diving, hot air ballooning, private beach time, saltwater infinity pools, cliff climbing, jungle whitewater rafting, Thai spa treatments, cooking classes, muay Thai training, mahout experiences, and shopping at markets like Chatuchak or in Bangkok’s large shopping centers.
What events in Thailand can visitors look forward to in 2018? The Thailand Tourism Festival 2018, held Jan. 17–21 at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, showcases the best of each region in one place. The festival features local foods, regional products, musical performances and cultural processions from noon until 10 p.m. It’s a lively, family-friendly event and free to the public.
Another highlight is the annual Loi Krathong Festival (Nov. 23, 2018), when people float candlelit krathongs on rivers and ponds to honor the water spirits, give thanks and reflect on the relationship between communities and their waterways.
What are the can’t-miss activities and sights in Thailand? In 2018 we promoted the theme “Amazing Thai Taste” to encourage food lovers to explore Thailand’s culinary heritage. Visitors can enhance their experience by taking Thai cooking classes and discovering regional flavors firsthand.
Thai cuisine continues to gain global recognition: CNN Travel listed seven Thai dishes among the World’s 50 Best Foods. TAT collaborated with Michelin Travel Partner to publish the Michelin Guide Bangkok and worked with Gault & Millau to produce a bilingual Thailand guidebook. In May 2018 Thailand hosted the UNWTO Conference on Gastronomy Tourism, highlighting our growing role in global food tourism.