The company earned accolades for its work in creating new urban tourism experiences and using content to connect global pop culture with Thailand.
The Mall Group scored two wins at the Travel Daily Media Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 - Thailand, emerging as the recipient of the Tourist Attraction of the Year - Thailand and Content Marketing of the Year - Thailand categories.
The two recognitions laud the company’s contribution to Thailand’s tourism and visitor economy, particularly its Emsphere at Em District and its The Mall Group x Monchhichi New Year Celebrations campaign.
Turning retail into a destination
Since opening in December 2023, Emsphere has become part of Bangkok’s visitor experience, growing beyond its role as a shopping destination.
The destination, which is located in EM District, brings together shopping, dining, entertainment, and nightlife. Its offerings include UOB LIVE, EM WONDER, TRIBE Sky Beach Club, more than 80 restaurants, international brands, as well as a range of entertainment and lifestyle experiences.
Its popularity amongst international visitors has also grown quickly, becoming the No. 1 searched destination in Thailand on XiaoHongShu in 2024 and ranking in Dianping’s Must-Visit Places in Thailand in 2026. Moreover, its reach has extended online, generating 3.46 billion online impressions and around 2,457 media articles in 2025 in international and mainstream publications.
The Mall Group has also worked with tourism partners, airlines, hotels, travel platforms, and payment providers to make the destination easier for international visitors to access.
Making content part of the visitor experience
The Mall Group’s second award came from its Monchhichi New Year Celebrations, which marked the Japanese character’s 50th anniversary and the launch of an exclusive Thai Edition.
Rather than keeping the partnership focused on retail, The Mall Group built a wider story around Monchhichi visiting Thailand to celebrate the New Year. The campaign brought together Siam Paragon, Emporium and The Mall Lifestore with digital content, social media, international media, KOLs, and experiences in Bangkok.
The campaign showed Thailand through places and activities rather than traditional advertising, with Monchhichi appearing in neighbourhoods, lifestyle destinations, parks, local collaborations, restaurants, and community events.
The campaign also reached international audiences through platforms and media coverage, which helped take the campaign beyond the retail sector.
The content also translated into physical participation and commercial results. Some individual activations saw strong results, with Park Pilates with Monchhichi fully booked within three minutes; Monchhichi Christmas Town recording a 293% increase in participation and 107% growth in spending; and the Emporium Pop-Up seeing traffic rise by 549% and sales increase by 83% year-on-year.
The Mall Group’s two awards highlight the two sides of its approach to tourism: creating destinations that give visitors more reasons to explore Bangkok, and using content and experiences to make those destinations part of the story.
The Travel Daily Media Travel Trade Excellence Awards - Thailand recognises the pinnacle of excellence in the travel industry across Thailand. With a keen focus on honouring the best hotels, airlines, airports, cruise lines, tour operators and travel agencies, booking platforms, and travel technology, projects, and initiatives, it aims to spotlight key players that consistently redefine industry standards and elevate customer experiences.
The TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards 2026 - Thailand is presented by Travel Daily Media Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. For more information about the awards programme, please contact Marni Marco at +(65) 3158 1386 ext. 217 or [email protected].
