TTG Travel Awards Publications TTG Travel Awards 2018 | Page 10

8 TTG TRAVEL AWARDS 2018 SPECIAL EDITION Outstanding Achievement Awards Best Travel Marketing Effort Switzerland Tourism What does this award mean to you and who do you want to share it with? It is an award for the entire team of Switzerland Tourism. It shows that with innovative and dedicated people it is possible to positively influence travel patterns and the choice of destinations. Thanks to the support of all our tourism partners in the region and in Switzerland, we could double the number of overnights in Switzer- land since we opened our regional office for South-east Asia at the end of 2012. What motivates you to excel in all that you do? The stars in the eyes of our guests. When I was a teenager, living in a small mountain town in Switzerland, I saw many guests arriving by train. They stepped out of the railway station, awe-inspired, looking towards the nearby cows grazing on alpine flowers. The guests gazed up to the top of the snow-covered mountains with stars of joy in their eyes. To help guests get those strong emotions by discovering my home country gives me enormous professional satisfaction. What advice would you give to the next generation of tourism professionals who desire success in this trade? Think about your guests first – what would make them happy? – understand their individual needs and then Ivan Breiter start to customise their dream vacation. If you learn to do that, you will generate loyal customers for a lifetime. Director South-east Asia, Switzerland Tourism Use the help of NTOs, we are here for you – a happy customer is the best marketing success of all. Destination of the Year Thailand What does this award mean to you and who do you want to share it with? Thailand winning the Destination of the Year award is a fabulous honour, not just for the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) but for all the public and private sector stakeholders in Thailand’s travel and hospitality sectors. So once again, this reflects the collective efforts of the entire industry in collaboration with the TAT’s current Amazing Thailand: Open to the New Shades marketing campaign. We are humbled by this accolade and grateful to win this prestigious award. What motivates you to excel in all that you do? Working on behalf of Thailand’s travel industry inspires us to always do our best. Thai hospitality is famous worldwide and is the reason why we are a favoured destination, so we strive to always do better to make sure Thailand maintains its position as a quality leisure destination. What advice would you give to the next generation of tourism professionals who desire success in this trade? Always remember it is a privilege to represent your country and work in Thailand’s travel industry. Everyone is an ambassador, and everyone helps generate tourism-related income for the good of the country. At the same time, be reminded to stay committed to our nationwide ongoing responsible tourism strat- egy. Initiate or take part in various activities that will help instil a sense of environmental consciousness as well as encourage tourists to travel responsibly by leaving only footprints and taking only good memories. – Yuthasak Supasorn, governor, Tourism Authority of Thailand Tanes Petsuwan Deputy governor for marketing communica- tions, Tourism Authority of Thailand