A new mobile phone application that was designed to be a one-stop-shop for tourists planning to visit Thailand was unveiled on 13 November 2019.
Dubbed “TAGTHAi” by its developers, the app will be operated by Thai Digital Platform Social Enterprise Co.
The app offers access to services provided by 20 state agencies and 28 private companies, thus allowing tourists to plan their trip in advance, book flights and reserve their accommodation in the country.
The efficient cooperation between the public and private sector will help ensure that Thailand’s tourism sector will continue to expand, noted the Digital Economy and Society Minister at the app’s launch.
The Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce stated that while the app offers more conveniences for tourists, the government must not rest on its laurels. Instead, he proposed, the government should expand what the app has to offer and include spa services and tour packages.
The President of THA stated that tourists can be assured of quality accommodation because all hotels listed in the app have already been verified and authorised by the association. The association has about 140,000 rooms on offer in the app.
Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Deputy Governor for Digital Research and Development stated that the app will bring more first-time visitors to the country and increase visitor numbers at lesser-known destinations across Thailand.
The app has been called a “one-stop-shop” as it links tourists with tourism service providers under one app. The app also has an ‘SOS feature’ that is linked up with the Tourist Police. Other features, such as links for e-visa application, will be added in the future.
Thailand is banking on tourism to boost the economy amid sluggish exports and a domestic slowdown.
Enabling Digital Tourism
According to an earlier report, tourism in Thailand is growing strongly, with figures showing arrivals to the destination increased by 7.5% in 2018.
The travel and tourism sector is also growing in the country, by 6% last year, but a new report says investment in infrastructure is needed for Thailand to keep on top of the growth of tourism.
The Thailand Future of Tourism report, put together by the country’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency and two travel firms, highlights four areas that can help gear Thailand up for future growth.
The Thailand Towards 2030 report says airports should look at adopting smart technology including more self-service kiosks and automated bag drops.
It adds that the adoption of biometric technologies to help move passengers through the airport would also help.
The report also highlights public-private partnerships to further help improve inner-city transport networks.
Finally, the use of data to avoid over-tourism through real-time analysis and predictive modelling, to help manage volumes, is highlighted as key.
The report points to the Phuket Data Platform where Internet of Things data is combined with open data to predict patterns of movement. The initiative brings data from free hotspots and vehicle licence plates using CCTV cameras to help understand visitor demographics.
These sorts of “Smart Tourism” initiatives make for a more seamless experience for travellers and help destinations understand how visitors are moving about, according to the report.
