Parrtjima is an annual Aboriginal light festival that takes places over 10 nights in the Red Centre
The Northern Territory (NT) is consolidating its visitor economy efforts by merging Tourism NT and the NT Major Events Company into a single entity named Tourism and Events NT, effective January 1, 2026.
The move is intended to create a unified and streamlined strategy to drive year-round visitor growth by directly leveraging the region’s major events alongside its unique destinations, according to Suzana Bishop, CEO of the NT Department of Tourism and Hospitality.
Parrtjima is an annual Aboriginal light festival that takes places over 10 nights in the Red Centre
Bishop noted that the region’s “incredible event portfolio plays a huge role in bringing visitors”, and added that since the two organisations already work extremely closely. Hence, integrating them makes perfect sense and will “create a powerhouse of creativity and strategy when it comes to promoting the Territory”.
The merger has been widely welcomed by the industry.
Alicia Triggs, executive general manager of sales & partnerships at Journey Beyond, stated that the two sectors are “intrinsically linked”, with each one strengthening the other to create a “strong driver for visitation”.
Ben Hall, CEO of AAT Kings Group, agreed, calling events and tourism a marketing powerhouse and noting that combining the functions has successfully grown the sector in other Australian states by creating better synergies and wider reach.
The integration has already produced practical results: major event tickets are now being sold through travel trade channels, bundled with accommodation, flights, and tours. This cross-promotion has expanded reach, contributing to a 58 per cent interstate and overseas visitor rate for the recent Motocross Australia Grand Prix and a sell-out T20 International Cricket match. Furthermore, NT events are now consistently featured in Tourism NT agent and media programmes, boosting exposure with global buyers.
To help lead the new vision, Staci Mellman has been appointed as chief marketing officer, effective October 1. Mellman brings international tourism marketing experience from her previous leadership roles with Brand USA and Visit Florida.
An Expression of Interest process for appointments to the new Tourism and Events NT Advisory Board will run from September 24 to October 22. The current Tourism NT Board will manage the transition until the end of 2025, during which time the new Visitor Economy Strategy 2032 is also being finalised through industry consultation.
Navodit Srivastava shares his insight on how hospitality businesses can harness AI strategically
In an industry that has always prided itself on the human touch and personal connections to deliver exceptional service, the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) might seem contradictory.
As AI adoption accelerates and its benefits – from enhancing the customer experience to drawing operational insights – become more apparent, it is proving to be a strategic partner that helps hospitality businesses operate smarter, stand out in a crowded market, and create memorable experiences.
Far from replacing the human touch, AI strengthens it. It empowers hospitality leaders to deliver both performance and purpose in terms of profitability and responsibility to guests, partners, and the planet.
Navodit Srivastava, hospitality cloud leader, Asia Pacific at Cvent, shares his insights on how AI is poised to shape the future of hospitality.
AI as a performance booster
From operations and pricing to marketing, AI can help business leaders make smarter, faster decisions across pricing, sales, resource planning and even provide a clearer view across multiple properties or business streams.
For instance, it can streamline hotel operations by automating repetitive tasks, allowing staff to be redeployed to focus on activities that require more human interaction.
Another aspect is pricing, which significantly affects a business’ revenue. Pricing needs to be dynamic and move with the market to capitalise on consumer demand and booking pace.
Here is where AI-powered dynamic pricing can help businesses stay competitive. It collects and analyses different pieces of data such as search volume, competitors’ prices and booking patterns, and adjusts the pricing in real-time to capture them.
It can also align pricing along an entire hotel group’s portfolio, ensuring that overall pricing strategy is relevant to each market and demand.
Comprehensive solutions such as Cvent’s Group Pipeline Intel (GPI) help hoteliers actively find new prospects, identify the best RFPs and leverage AI to respond faster, and better strategise against their competition backed by data. This reduces response times and helps business leaders make more informed decisions.
AI models can also forecast group demand, booking pace, and reduce the risk of lost business. By identifying patterns, AI helps teams capture opportunities and mitigate revenue leakage.
This predictive power elevates profitability and ensures that properties are not merely reacting to changes but anticipating them, which is key in today’s competitive market.
AI to enhance the guest experience through personalisation
The guest experience remains a key differentiator in hospitality. AI enables hospitality businesses to differentiate by delivering tailored campaigns based on personalisation preferences, for example by tailoring loyalty offers for business travellers or delivering personalised destination content for leisure groups. This helps sales and marketing managers to respond to planners faster, increasing their chances of winning business.
It also helps personalise outreach to connect to more planners, keeping the business at the top of their minds. This shift from segmentation to personalisation helps build greater trust and brand equity, as well as drive more meaningful relationships with clients.
Beyond marketing, AI also helps catering and banquet managers with advanced digital experiences that enhance event planning and guest engagement. Virtual tours, 3D layouts, and interactive diagramming tools enable planners to visualise spaces with accuracy, while guests can explore and preview stays long before arrival. This not only increases confidence in booking decisions but also creates a sense of anticipation and loyalty.
According to the 2025 Global Cvent Travel Managers Report, travel managers in Asia are particularly attracted to visual content that goes beyond the basics. 54 per cent prioritise images and videos of the hotel and its surrounding area, the highest percentage of any region. Additionally, virtual tours are more influential in this region (28 per cent) than in others.
By automating repetitive tasks and customising digital touchpoints, AI allows hospitality professionals to concentrate on their core strengths: providing genuine, humand-focused service.
AI to power purpose
As the industry moves towards reducing its impact and doing its part for the planet, AI can help enable this too.
AI systems can aggregate and report on sustainability metrics across properties — from energy consumption and waste reduction to carbon footprint calculations. These insights feed directly into RFP requirements from clients who expect transparency around supply chains and environmental impact. 30 per cent of travel professionals surveyed in the 2025 Global Cvent Travel Managers Report say sustainability will shape business travel priorities through 2026.
Hospitality businesses can prove their sustainable impact by data-backed AI-derived insights and at the same time, position themselves as future-minded, responsible brands.
AI as a partner to hospitality leaders
As AI adoption continues, it is increasingly apparent how it connects profit making with personalisation and sustainability. Better revenue insights free up resources that can be reinvested in enhancing the guest experience.
By embracing AI as a partner in both performance and purpose, hospitality leaders can reimagine what is possible: smarter revenue strategies, personalised guest journeys, and meaningful sustainability commitments that resonate with stakeholders at every level.
Though the industry buzzes about AI’s potential, Cvent announced CventIQ earlier this year. It integrates industry expertise, data, and intelligent tools – including AI – directly into the secure Cvent
platform. This solid foundation makes CventIQ both intelligent and highly intuitive. Designed and trained to prioritise security and privacy, it also addresses the needs of sales, marketing, catering,
banquet, and reservation managers.
Navodit Srivastava is a hospitality cloud leader for Asia Pacific at Cvent. With over 20 years of experience in the SaaS, hospitality, travel, AI, and software sectors, Navodit combines industry expertise with a genuine passion for fostering growth. His approach focuses on building strong, high-performing teams and creating meaningful partnerships that drive real results. Navodit is committed to leveraging AI and innovative software solutions to enhance business development and deliver memorable MICE experiences.
The Thai Exhibition Association (TEA) has revealed that the next edition of the Thailand MICE Exchange (TMX 2026) will take place on April 29 to 30, 2026, at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.
Organised by TEA in partnership with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), TMX 2026 is expected to feature 100 local and international exhibitors, and draw over 4,000 trade delegates from Thailand and South-east Asia.
A panel during TMX 2025
The annual exhibition and conference event will operate under the theme: Innovation & Sustainability: Powering Excellence & Growth in Thailand’s MICE Industry.
TMX 2026 will feature two main conference tracks: Main Stage, a high-level C-suite conference focusing on growth, profitability, risk, future trends, and leadership; and X-Change Square, a practical knowledge-sharing platform focused on best practices and operations in business events.
Together, these tracks are expected to deliver over 30 sessions, featuring more than 61 speakers and attracting 1,400 attendees.
A dedicated Business Matching Program is also scheduled to facilitate over 360 pre-arranged one-to-one meetings between buyers and sellers over the two-day event.
Business events stakeholders in Malaysia are capitalising on the government-driven publicity of the year-long Visit Malaysia 2026 year-long to strengthen their position in the market, and leverage on new opportunities to attract international business events.
Rayner Simon, chief operating officer at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), anticipates that demand for domestic and regional meetings, and incentives will rise next year, thanks to the heightened visibility from Visit Malaysia 2026.
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching
Simon added that the campaign will also help attract new investors into Malaysia’s business events ecosystem, creating opportunities for infrastructure enhancements, new partnerships, and legacy impact initiatives that benefit the wider community.
He shared: “I am looking at the long term, particularly at the opening of BCCK2 in 2028. We have to start preparing the market now by building a strong pipeline of events and ensuring that industry players are aligned.
“The momentum created by Visit Malaysia 2026 will help us set the stage, so that when BCCK2 opens, Kuching will be well-positioned to host large-scale international conventions and exhibitions.”
Borneo Nature Tours, director of sales, Alven Lim, said his company will reach out to Asian markets such as China, India, Korea and Japan to market its flagship accommodation. Previously, this product was promoted mainly to the European market.
Borneo Rainforest Lodge, comprising 27 chalets and three villas, is the only licensed accommodation available within the pristine Danum Valley Conservation Area in Lahad Datu, Sabah.
Lim revealed that the lodge will also be positioned as an exclusive venue for small corporate retreats, C-level meetings, and leadership programmes, offering companies a setting that blends immersive rainforest experiences with high-end hospitality.
Similarly, Langkawi MICE Holidays & Tours director of sales, Nana Soliano, said her company will be leveraging on the campaign’s momentum to reconnect with Australian outbound suppliers and rekindle their interest to promote Langkawi as a meetings and incentives destination.
She added: “We lost a lot of business from Australia during Covid. We hope to recapture the market by participating in AIME in 2026 and doing sales calls after the event. We decided to skip participating in some Asian travel marts in 2025 so that we can save the money to attend AIME.”
Anticipating that event organisers from key markets in Asia Pacific will also be looking at other secondary destinations outside of Langkawi, such as Penang, Sabah and Sarawak, Nana shared that she has been in touch with the respective state convention bureaus.
What is Thailand doing well in attracting high-quality business events – and where is the country falling short?
Thailand still delivers five stars in terms of food and quality even with discounts applied. We are also still getting five star hotel openings, which is a good sign.
But DMCs and hotels are cutting rates to chase cash flow, and that is feeding the wrong perception. We try to position ourselves as affordable, but to international clients, it comes across as “cheap”.
Luxury does not mean discounts. Take Louis Vuitton, for example. They never cut prices; they use partnerships or loyalty mechanisms instead. We need to think that way in Thailand’s MICE space, maintaining a luxury mindset with our brand positioning.
At Paula & Co., we do not drop our prices. We enhance the experience with better welcomes, curated details, thoughtful touches. It may cost a little more, but it feels exclusive.
What do clients really want when choosing Thailand?
They want something new. Clients often say: “I’ve been to Thailand before. What else can you show me?”
Product knowledge is everything. They are not asking for discounts. They are asking for differentiation. We are bidding against other destinations, so when we show them something surprising or clever that they did not expect, it makes Thailand stand out again.
What are your observations on the Meet Well campaign and Isan’s role in it?
Meet Well is heading in the right direction. It integrates wellness and authenticity, which are both in demand.
Debuting at AIME 2025 in Australia was a good start, but the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) needs to communicate it more widely, especially to overseas representatives to draw more buyers into the country. They also need to involve DMCs more, and support us to actually activate the concept.
With our DMC’s fam trip to Udon Thani and Sakon Nakhon in June, I created a proper selling programme based on Meet Well. It has real potential, but TCEB needs to push it beyond internal communication.
You are a proud Udon Thani native. What do planners often overlook about Isan?
Isan is more than ready. We have the accessibility, real culture, and rich experiences. Udon has its own Centara property, and will soon welcome a new cancer centre, which opens the doors for medical wellness.
We have run wellness check-ins, vitamin drips, and community experiences like indigo workshops, pink lotus weaving, and rice field tours.
How will next year’s International Horticultural Expo 2026 boost Udon Thani’s profile?
It is a gamechanger. But we have to prepare the local supply chain. In some cities, global or international standards are not there yet. For example, in Sakon Nakhon, accommodation is outdated. It is not a core MICE city, but it can still host domestic groups. Its nature, temples, and unique naga traditions are worth showcasing – but ideally as an add-on to a main MICE hub.
Right now, many local vendors in Udon Thani don’t know how to handle MICE business. That is why we have done training with universities and invested in capacity building to boost local ROI.
How are you leveraging your roles in Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) and Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA) to shape Thailand’s business events future?
The two roles serve very different purposes.
SITE is global; I use it to build international connections, but SITE is still relatively new to the local industry, and only those with global exposure or at a certain level know about it. Many younger sales professionals have never heard of SITE. That is why I have spent the last two years educating local associations about what SITE is and how it benefits them.
Meanwhile, TICA is local, and more established among Thai stakeholders.
From left: TTG Asia Media's Pierre Quek; Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre's John Burke; and TTG Asia Media's Karen Yue
The 34th Annual TTG Travel Awards celebrated excellence across the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism sector, recognising 93 organisations for their leadership and innovation.
The awards ceremony was held at Centara Grand at CentralWorld, coinciding with the IT&CM Asia and Corporate Travel World (CTW) Asia-Pacific events.
From left: TTG Asia Media’s Pierre Quek; Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s John Burke; and TTG Asia Media’s Karen Yue
Winners were determined by votes cast from April 1 to July 31, 2025, by travel professionals across different sectors. This year’s event introduced two new categories – Best Local Hotel Brand – Singapore and Best All-Inclusive Resort – reflecting evolving traveller demands. In total, 72 winners were recognised across various categories.
A highlight of the night was the induction of Frasers Hospitality into the TTG Travel Hall of Fame for winning the Best Serviced Residence Operator category for 10 consecutive year, joining 20 other prestigious inductees. The Outstanding Achievement Awards, chosen by TTG’s editorial team, recognised contributions in non-voting categories. This year’s recipients were South Korea (Destination of the Year), Disney Cruise Line (Best Travel Marketing Effort), and Khiri Travel (Most Sustainable Travel Company).
Meanwhile, returning champions included Pan Pacific Hotels Group (Best Regional Hotel Chain), Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (Best Convention & Exhibition Centre – Malaysia), Dao by Dorsett AMTD Singapore (Best Serviced Residence – Property Level), and Scoot (Best Low-Cost Carrier).
The two companies will drive over US$6 billion in annual total travel volume
Denver-based provider of corporate travel management services Direct Travel has acquired strategic partner ATPI, a UK-based travel management company.
The deal creates one of the world’s largest travel management companies, projecting over US$6 billion in annual total travel volume across corporate, leisure, events, and specialised travel sectors. A key factor in the acquisition is ATPI’s expertise in specialised sectors like energy, marine, sports, and mining.
The two companies will drive over US$6 billion in annual total travel volume
The acquisition formalises a multi-year partnership and is expected to accelerate the international launch of Direct Travel’s new platform, Avenir Travel Edition, designed for travellers and travel managers.
Christal Bemont, CEO of Direct Travel, stated: “This partnership represents a pivotal moment in reshaping managed travel, allowing us to deliver tailored solutions and a seamless experience for clients across a range of sectors and of all sizes and locations.”
Ian Sinderson, CEO of ATPI, noted that the union allows them to better serve clients through combined services, technology, and teams. He positioned the new entity as a “compelling alternative to mega-agencies for global travel” given their extensive market reach.
The 2025 Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) has released its Top 40 rankings, marking a decade of benchmarking destination sustainability.
This year’s theme, Shifting Tides, highlights a period of global transition, with destinations showing resilience and accelerated action.
The 2025 Global Destination Sustainability Index highlights global progress in sustainable tourism, with Helsinki, pictured, leading the way
The 2025 rankings show a 31 per cent rise in average performance across all participating destinations since the programme began, with the Top 10 improving by 46 per cent. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, destinations have maintained momentum in their sustainability initiatives.
Helsinki (Finland) leads the GDS-Index for the second consecutive year, scoring 93.52 per cent and maintaining its position as a sustainable tourism and events leader. The city has ended its coal era, earned Green Destinations certification, and ensured near-universal sustainability certification across hotels, convention centres, and top attractions. The Nordic trio of Helsinki, Gothenburg and Copenhagen continues to dominate, though the gap between the Top 10 and the overall GDS-Index average has narrowed from 23.2 per cent to 20.3 per cent, reflecting rising performance globally.
Adelaide is recognised as the most improved destination, climbing 23 places in its second year of participation. The city’s rise was driven by its Integrated Climate Strategy 2030 and sustainability roadmap, including Adelaide Airport achieving carbon neutrality for its direct emissions. Krakow and The Malverns also feature among the most improved destinations.
The 2025 GDS-Index highlights a more dynamic Top 40, with nine new destinations entering the rankings, accelerated climate action with 77 per cent of destinations reporting sector-level measures, and widespread adoption of third-party sustainability certification. In the Top 10 destinations, 81 per cent of hotels are now certified, up from 66 per cent in 2016, and 50 per cent of destination marketing organisations hold sustainability certification for their own operations. Regional leadership is also evident, with Lyon leading Central and Southern Europe, Melbourne topping Asia-Pacific, and Montreal retaining the North American lead.
Guy Bigwood, CEO and chief changemaker at GDS-Movement, said: “Every destination featured in the GDS-Index has demonstrated leadership and commitment – each one deserving recognition for its efforts to build a more regenerative future.
“As we mark the 10th year of the GDS-Index – with 626 benchmarking assessments completed across 35 countries since 2016 – one thing has remained constant: the courage of this community to lead with vision and to innovate with purpose.”
He added: “From shifting seasonality to changing governance and a pushback against sustainability, members of the movement meet each wave with intention, creativity, and a fierce resolve to do better, faster, together. It’s not just about riding the wave, it’s about learning how to read it, shape it, and surf it to make it count.”
JW Marriott Singapore South Beach has appointed Karl Hudson as general manager.
Hudson, who has overseen the opening of over 80 hotels with Marriott International and most recently served as regional vice president for Japan and Guam, brings extensive leadership experience to the hotel.
He will guide the property’s growth while maintaining its lifestyle identity and design focus, emphasising people, personalisation, and place-making to ensure it remains a leading destination for both business and leisure.
Thirty years after kicking off the first Amway China Leadership Seminar in Bangkok, the multi-level marketing company will return to the kingdom’s capital city with more than 10,000 of its top performers.
These delegates will arrive in Bangkok in several waves between March and April 2026, and participate in destination experiences that are uniquely Thai.
From left: Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Thapanee Kiatphaibool; Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau’s Supawan Teerarat; Amway China’s Fei Shengxi; and Amway Thailand’s Tossaporn Nisthanon announce Bangkok as host city of Amway China Leadership Seminar 2026; photo by Yingyong Unanongrak
Amway China, Amway Thailand, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) made the announcement during IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia Pacific 2025 in Bangkok earlier today.
TCEB president Supawan Teerarat hailed Amway China’s decision as a vote of confidence in Thailand and one that “holds great significance”.
She said: “This would be one of the largest corporate events to be held in South-east Asia. For Thailand, it is more than just numbers – it’s a symbol of enduring friendship, trust, and partnership between our two nations. The timing carries special meaning because this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Thailand. We will celebrate this milestone together.
“Amway China’s decision also reflects (its acknowledgement of) Thailand’s reputation for world-class hospitality, rich cultural experiences, and reliable events support.”
TCEB, along with government agencies and industry partners, worked closely with Amway China over the past two years to materialise the event win.
The programme will be built with slow travel in mind, allowing event attendees to break away from traditional tourist roads and travel in a way that aligns with Amway’s philosophy of total wellness, shared Fei Shengxi, vice president, Amway China.
“From arrival to departure, every detail is being carefully prepared. Amway China delegates will enjoy our MICE Lane fast-track service at the airport immigration and a warm Thai welcome throughout their time here. We are committed to ensuring that every delegate feels safe, feel cared for, and truly at home in Bangkok,” Supawan added.
TAT is supporting the programme with “Must Taste, Must Try, Must Buy, Must Seek, and Must See experiences”, such as Muay Thai training and traditional massage, according to TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool. She added that “a spectacular evening festival” will be specially arranged to coincide with Songkran.
Fei Shengxi, vice president, Amway China, noted that “Thailand has long been a dream destination for Chinese tourists”, and Thailand’s implementation of visa-free travel policy for Chinese citizens brings “tremendous convenience for our exchanges”.
Further underscoring Amway’s confidence in Thailand as a preferred events destination, Amway Thailand’s managing director Tossaporn Nisthanon, revealed that Amway India has also chosen the kingdom for its leadership event this December while Amway Europe and Japan will visit Thailand in 2026.
Tossaporn said: “These leadership seminars bring far more than just memorable travel experiences (to our attendees), but also support for our tourism industry, our local communities, and countless small businesses.”
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He will guide the property’s growth while maintaining its lifestyle identity and design focus, emphasising people, personalisation, and place-making to ensure it remains a leading destination for both business and leisure.
