Bloggers meet in Bangkok

BANGKOK  The first ever first Travel Blog Exchange in Asia, hosted by Thailand, 15 to 17 October, 2015, reaffirmed the country’s readiness to host major events.
Tourism Authority of Thailand officials told international bloggers, attending a press conference during the event, that tourism had fully recovered after the 17 August Erawan Shrine bomb attack.

Tourism bookings dropped by just over 1 million in the wake of the deadly attack that killed 20 people, mostly tourists.
But the latest statistics and booking trends show the country has bounced back and is again winning the confidence of event organisers.
inside no 7After a slowdown in corporate meetings in the Thai capital, five-star hotels are reporting robust bookings for both rooms and meeting space.
The Travel Blog Exchange attracted around 600 writers who contribute features and blogs in the online space.
The Travel Blog Exchange Asia (TBEX Asia) was jointly sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Thai Airways International and True Corporation.
TAT governor, Yuthasak Supasorn, welcomed the 600 bloggers and online writers reiterating is confidence in the “Discover Thainess” campaign, which has played a major part in reviving tourism in the country following the 2014 military coup.
TBEX conference director, Mary Jo Manzanares, said: “Thailand is a wonderful place for all types of travellers and it is a major gateway to Asia, so seemed the natural place to hold our first TBEX event in this region.”
TCEB’s vice president strategic and business development, Supawan Teerarat, forecast the event would contribute around THB50 million, which seems an incredible amount considering the bloggers are usually fully hosted.
TAT officials said communications by bloggers and online writers were key factors that helped Thailand achieve 23 million visits up to 15 October, and should mean the country can exceed 28.8 million visitors by year-end.

sourced:ttrweekly.com