TCEB LAUNCHES NEW CAMPAIGN IGNITING DOMESTIC MARKET

May 30, 2024: TCEB collaborates with 16 partners in driving the domestic MICE market by launching a new campaign “Yok Team Prachum, Rum Rak Mueang Thai” to stimulate demands for domestic meetings. The campaign focuses on using the unique identities of local communities across Thailand to inspire corporate meetings and incentive travel, which will elevate the country into a high-value-added MICE destination.

Mr. Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (Public Organization) or TCEB, stated that TCEB has collaborated with 16 partners to introduce the campaign “Yok Team Prachum, Rum Rak Mueang Thai”, targeting the domestic meeting and incentive travel sectors. This initiative is designed to advance the domestic MICE industry in accordance with the five-year strategic plan (2023-2027), which aims to enhance Thai MICE industry’s competitiveness by highlighting diverse local identities and creating authentic experiences, ultimately positioning Thailand as a high value-added MICE destination.

"The campaign aims to stimulate the organisation of meetings and incentive travels that benefit local communities and promote health and environment. Towards this end, the campaign requires new marketing model in that participating client organisations must search and secure services of MICE entrepreneurs via online platform “Thai MICE Connect”. It is a platform where MICE entrepreneurs showcase their services, event design creativity, and benefits that can inspire their target clients - organizations, companies, agencies – to hold meetings and organise incentive trips. In this connection, the campaign is featuring seven-themed routes (Soft Power Series) where new ideas for events and activities of service providers taking part in the campaign are exhibited."

To promote the campaign, organisations holding meetings or incentive trips of at least 20 delegates and taking 2 days and one night stay at the minimum in Thailand are encouraged to take photos of their creative meeting activities and share such photos or short videos, that are in line with the campaign objectives, on social media to reach wider audience. There are also awards worth over 1.5 million baht in total to motivate all sectors to participate in the campaign. The awards are classified into the following categories: 

Awards for MICE entrepreneurs: there are five awards, valued at 10,000 baht each, which will be given to Destination Management Company (DMC) who can attract the largest number of client organisations into the campaign. Another five awards, also 10,000 baht each in value, will be presented to MICE entrepreneurs who can attract the largest number of MICE travellers into the campaign. And three awards, valued at 20,000 baht each, will be given to DMCs who can deliver the best creative design of MICE routes. 

In addition, there are 12 more awards for organisations, companies, institutions, or agencies participating in the campaign. The awards consist of inspection trip package that entails a three-day/two-night accommodation in two rooms for four people, breakfast, a special dinner, and travel expenses and awards for organisation posting pictures of their meetings and gaining the highest number of like in each month during July to November 2024. 

Awards are also available for organisations, companies, institutions, or agencies holding meetings in line with the guidelines of 'Healthy & Active Meeting”. Meetings showing innovative concepts and exhibiting local engagement at destinations are also awarded.

Dr. Prakong Saichan, Director of Community-based Tourism Office, the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization) or DASTA, said that DASTA and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, agencies in charge of developing community-based tourism and partner of the campaign, are inviting MICE travellers, which are quality segment targeted by DASTA, to explore new experiences with community-based tourism, where unique local identities and local wisdom passed down through generations can create impressive memories. Organisations holding meetings in any 25 locations under the mission of DASTA will be welcomed with creative activities worth 10,000 baht per group. DASTA believes that community-based tourism will inspire their journeys, where every step is a story, and every encounter is a valuable sharing experience.

Ms. Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, Chair of Marketing at the Thai Hotels Association and Vice-President of the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association said that THA is one main partner of this campaign and is offering discount and special incentives for organisations taking part in the campaign. THA is confident that Thailand's rich tapestry of community resources, such as food, crafts, traditions, and unique attractions, can be incorporated to elevate the charm and meaning of meetings and related activities. It can ignite meeting delegates to heed and appreciate such resources and, hence, their preservation or further development that will lend weight to the campaign while sparking local communities to refine their resources into unique selling points at national level.

The application period for this campaign runs from June 1 to November 30, 2024, and the registration can be completed at yokteam.tceb.or.th. It is anticipated that there will be over 500 meeting groups comprising more than 10,000 travellers that will stimulate domestic spending. The campaign is also expected to encourage MICE entrepreneurs to enhance their potential in meeting the needs of the market. All in all, it will support the growth of the domestic MICE market to reach the target of the fiscal year 2024, which 22,230,000 domestic MICE travellers generate 73 billion baht in revenue within the country.