The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has extended its official support to tourism locations and providers nationwide, via a dedicated training and safety campaign. Dubbed the “white vest campaign”, TAT’s new initiative sets out to provide intensive training and promotions to enhance the safety, hygiene and world-class customer service on offer at tourist hot spots nationwide. The campaign is Thailand’s latest step towards safely reopening tourism to international arrivals.
Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports has endorsed the initiative, calling it a major effort to improve Thailand’s tourism sector in the post-Covid era. Meanwhile, according to a recent press release from TAT:
“Under this campaign, workshops will be arranged at key tourism destinations across the country, providing targeted businesses and workers training on general management, accounting, capital management, health and hygiene and hospitality.”
Tourism professionals who join and successfully pass the campaign will be awarded a white vest and ID badge that certifies their safety credentials. They can then wear this paraphernalia in public to show tourists that they are skilled and certified in health and safety protocols essential to tourism. Tourists will be instructed to look for vendors wearing the vest, as this will signify they have passed the intensive government-endorsed training courses from TAT.
“The campaign will target individual tourism businesses and workers in direct contact with tourists,” says TAT. “Such as retail vendors, beach chair renters, and parking providers, who have not been covered in previous tourism quality improvement campaigns.”
The TAT intends to develop and disseminate a series of best practices and SOP across the tourism sector, identifying areas for improvement and offering clear incentives for tourism professionals to raise their standards. In turn, these wholesale changes should lead to increased confidence in returning tourists, while also safeguarding their travel experiences in Thailand.
