(Singapore, 01.01.2026) Tourism remains one of the most important engines driving Thailand’s economy. Beyond generating revenue, it plays a vital role in job creation, nation branding, and even influencing investment decisions. However, fostering sustainable growth in the tourism sector is far from straightforward. The industry continues to face multiple challenges, including convenience and accessibility, intensifying competition among destinations worldwide, and changing traveller behaviours — all of which directly affect tourists’ travel decisions.
Towards the end of 2025, Thailand is preparing to reignite global attention with a renewed wave of ‘Amazing Thailand.’ The government and private sector are rolling out a comprehensive set of tourism-stimulus measures that address both economic impact and national image. One of the most talked-about highlights is the appointment of Lalisa ‘Lisa’ Manobal as the new brand ambassador — not only a global-level artist, but also a powerful representation of Thailand’s contemporary image on the world stage.
Learning from Global Leaders Where Tourism Meets Technology
The world has entered an era where tourism is no longer driven solely by beautiful destinations and cultural heritage. Instead, competitiveness increasingly depends on experiences and technology. As a result, many countries are rapidly upgrading their tourism sectors to become smarter, more emotionally engaging, and better aligned with the expectations of modern travellers.
Japan, for example, stands as a model of cultural-innovation integration, leveraging anime, music, cuisine, and fashion as globally recognisable soft power. Recently, the Japanese government has rebooted efforts to fuse cultural roots with advanced technology through initiatives such as Virtual Remix Japan, which enables global audiences to participate in art exhibitions, festivals, and anime worlds in real time via VR and AR. This exemplifies a seamless blend of past and future.
Meanwhile, South Korea has aggressively combined technology and tourism to enhance attractiveness and vibrancy. The country actively promotes start-ups offering cloud-based hotel-management platforms, real-time translation technologies, blockchain services for international tourists, and platforms linking tourism with overseas education. South Korea has also built a tourism ecosystem that integrates smart cities, digital technology, and contemporary culture, using K-pop artists as a major driving force.
In Barcelona, Spain, one of Europe’s leading smart cities, tourism has been elevated through intelligent urban and visitor-experience management. From smart traffic systems and energy-saving public bike services to big-data-driven analysis of tourist behaviour, visitors can plan accommodation, restaurants, and travel routes through a single integrated application. This approach creates a balanced coexistence between tourism and urban life. Together, these examples demonstrate that technology is no longer merely a supporting tool, but the core differentiator in the modern tourism economy.
Elevating Thai Tourism Through a Fully Integrated Innovation Ecosystem
NIA(National Innovation Agency) and TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) have officially announced a landmark collaboration with the launch of the ‘Amazing Thailand Innovation Gadget’ platform, which serves as Thailand’s first tourism innovation repository. The initiative aims to propel Thai tourism fully into the Smart Tourism era.
The platform aggregates tourism-related technologies and innovative solutions from start-ups and entrepreneurs nationwide, enabling real-world deployment across the entire Thai tourism value chain. Its objective is to build a strong tourism-innovation ecosystem through integrated collaboration across all sectors, while enhancing entrepreneurs’ capacity to apply innovation and technology suited to the specific contexts of different destinations.
Dr. Krithpaka Boonfueng, Executive Director of the National Innovation Agency, stated that the innovations featured on the platform will primarily be Travel Tech-related technologies. The platform is open to start-ups, entrepreneurs, developers, and business partners with the interest and capability to co-create elevated tourism experiences while advancing Thailand’s Smart Tourism ecosystem.
Currently, NIA supports and has incubated more than 80 high-potential tourism-technology start-ups and entrepreneurs, spanning areas such as community-based tourism (Local Alike), hospitality solutions (Ascend Travel), urban mobility (MuvMi), social impact marketplaces (SocialGiver), and backend customer-journey management systems (Appointment Anywhere). These solutions enable entrepreneurs and developers to access tools tailored to their specific contexts.
NIA believes that all stakeholders play a vital role in elevating Thailand’s tourism industry by integrating technology with creativity, culture, and local identity. This integration goes beyond artists, cuisine, or traditional culture, extending into tangible, scalable innovations that create new economic value for local communities.
