TAT teams up with Google for eTourism Day

The northern Thai city of Chiang Rai will play host to an eTourism Day this month.

The event, which marks a joint initiative by the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Google, is intended to help local tourism stakeholders better take advantage of technology.  

eTourism Day sessions will be held in both Thai and English, and led by experts from the TAT and Google Thailand, along with Dragon Trail, which has previously run social media events in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Le Meridien Resort Chiang Rai

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Director of the TAT’s Marketing Information Technology Group, will lead a session entitled ‘Building the Chiang Rai brand via Social Media and Digital Marketing’.

“We are very keen to support this initiative and to help enable local travel and tourism professionals make use of emerging technologies to bolster their businesses,” Ms Kiatphaibool said.

Ariya Banomyong, the Country Head of Google Thailand who will lead a session on Google solutions for businesses, commented; “Globally, six out of 10 travellers use search engines as their number one source for travel information so helping businesses in Chiang Rai go online and connect with potential customers is only a click away. We’re delighted to continue our partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and through eTourism Day provide practical tools that can contribute to the economic growth of the tourism industry and local Thai businesses in this community who will benefit directly from increased visitors and international visibility.”

eTourism Day will take place at the Le Meridien Resort Chiang Rai on 12 June, one day prior to the Mekong Tourism Forum 2012. Participation in the eTourism Day is free of charge.

By Mark Elliott, 7 June 2012, Thursday 6:07 AM