Thailand began appearing on the radar of international travelers in the 1960s when a few hundred thousand people started coming each year to take in the gilded temples of Bangkok, lush valleys of Chiang Mai, and picturesque beaches of Phuket. Since that time, the Thai tourism industry has skyrocketed, now attracting upwards of 30 million visitors each year. Established in 1969, International Tours Centre Co., Ltd. (ITC) has been active in tourism since the sector’s earliest days, and remains a market leader to this day.
Mr. Thanabordee Vajarasthira has seen the entirety of tourism growth in Thailand. Forty-nine years ago, his father launched ITC as a ticketing agency that specialized in corporate travel, and, today, Mr. Thanabordee serves as the company’s Managing Directing and has successfully ushered ITC into the modern, more technologically-advanced world. Over the past half century, ITC has moved far beyond only ticketing to offering diverse services, including both inbound and outbound travel packages, and has become proficient at using online platforms, like MakeMyTrip and Ctrip, to connect with new customers.
As a leader in a highly competitive market, Mr. Thanabordee is searching constantly to build new connections and gain new insights that will give ITC a competitive edge. His eagerness to learn more led him to join the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Academy 2018, implemented by Kenan. The Academy brought together 96 of Thailand’s top executives in the tourism sector to share experiences and foster connections, as well as to learn about the latest international tourism strategies from leading experts. In addition, Kenan led four study tours, including one to Japan, to give the executives an up-close look at recent innovations in the sector.
Mr. Thanabordee stated that Kenan’s program helped him better understand the latest trends in the tourism market, build linkages with other businesses, and leverage emerging technologies to grow his company. In the coming months and years, he looks forward to applying what he gained from the program to integrate new technology into his business and expand ITC’s services to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV).
