Experts at TTF 2025 Declare Thailand’s New Luxury Lies in Wellbeing, Culinary Tourism and High-equity Brands

Experts at TTF 2025 Declare Thailand’s New Luxury Lies in Wellbeing, Culinary Tourism and High-equity Brands

BANGKOK, THAILAND: For Thailand to seize the potential of luxury tourism and hospitality in 2025, the country needs to “go deeper” with high-equity branded residences, regenerative wellness and culinary tourism set to determine the destiny of the country becoming Asia’s luxury tourism hub.

The importance of brands in Thailand are turning Bangkok into a global “playground city” while the shift in values of luxury travellers are at the heart of what is driving luxury forward, over 1,000 delegates heard at Thailand Tourism Forum (TTF) 2025.

Held at the InterContinental Bangkok, the concept of JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) was unveiled, a replacing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) as peer-driven bucket list travel is overtaken by travellers wanting to disconnect as a form of self-care to pursue their own unique experiences.

Spearheading the new luxury movement is a surging wellness sector worth THB 1.2 billion per year (USD 5.7 billion). This is measured next to a soaring branded residences sector worth THB 191 billion (USD 34.6 billion), which is just the beginning, said C9 Hotelworks Managing Director, Bill Barnett.

“Wellness is no longer about spas, it’s about getting outside and enjoying a healthier lifestyle,” said Bill Barnett, the founder of TTF. “Guests are staying longer and spending habits are changing with the concept of longevity a potent force in the new luxury market.”

The audience heard from hospitality data guru Jesper Palmqvist, STR’s regional vice president for Asia Pacific that destination is emerging as the key in Bangkok with luxury hotels performing best on the Chao Phraya River according to 2024 figures, playing into the “new luxury” narrative of nature and culinary-led neighbourhoods being critical draw cards for high-end travellers.

Brand evolution was central to the topic of “Managing Lifestyle vs. Traditional Brands” led by Siradej Donavanik, vice president of development at Dusit Hotels & Resorts, who said the newly opened Dusit Thani embodied many of the new directions of the group; while Patrick Finn, vice president of development at IHG Hotels & Resorts, revealed “The Hot List – Top Luxury Travel Trends in Thailand” stressing that authentic and creative food and beverage experiences would take center stage in 2025.

IHG Hotels & Resorts has emerged as a leader in luxury hospitality in Thailand through its InterContinental and Kimpton brands, including the recent opening of the multi award-winning InterContinental Khao Yai Resort.

A shift towards “longevity tourism” is also a prime mover in the new luxury travel movement in Thailand with the development of innovative wellness facilities, such as the newly-opened VitalLife Scientific Wellness Center Phuket. Dr. Wanviput Sanphasitvong, an expert physician at VitaLife Scientific Wellness Center and Bumrungrad International Hospital, discussed “Redefined Wellness Tourism in Thailand” saying that longevity was “the new frontier” of wellness tourism.

TTF 2025 was organized by C9 Hotelworks in partnership with a series of leading, like-minded industry partners, including IHG Hotels & Resorts, STR, Horwath HTL, JLL Hotels and Hospitality, QUO, AMCHAM Thailand, Delivering Asia, VitaLife, Lighthouse, Phuket Hotels Association, Thaiger, and host venue InterContinental Bangkok.

Main Event – Thailand Tourism Forum 2025
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Introduction
Bill Barnett, Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks
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Hotel Market Insights
Jesper Palmqvist, Regional Vice President Asia Pacific, STR
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Managing Lifestyle vs. Traditional Brands
Siradej Donavanik, Vice President Development, Dusit Hotels & Resorts
(Moderator) David Johnson, CEO, Delivering Asia
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Social Media Power: Inducing Travel Demand
Paul Keen, Director of Project Management, QUO
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The Hot List – Top Luxury Travel Trends in Thailand
Patrick Finn, Vice President – Development, IHG Hotels & Resorts
(Moderator) Wimintra J. Raj, Founder, Hotelintel.co
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Decoding Thailand’s Hotel Landscape
Orn Yomchinda, Senior Vice President, Investment Sales – Asia, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group
Rathawat Kuvijitrsuwan,Senior Vice President, Advisory &
Asset Management – Asia, JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group
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Redefined Wellness Tourism in Thailand
Dr. Wanviput Sanphasitvong, Physician, VitalLife Scientific Wellness Center & Bumrungrad International Hospital and Business Development Director, VitalLife
(Moderator) Charles Blocker, Chief Executive Officer, IC Partners Ltd
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The New Explorers: Young Generation Travel Trends
Viona Zhang, Deputy Managing Director, C9 Hotelworks
Nichanun Boonprasert, Student, Dusit Thani College
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Beyond Ordinary: Dope Accommodation Alternatives
Koko Tang, Founder, Colorful Earth
Beverly Chen, Co-Founder, Cloud Collective
Willem Niemeijer, CEO, YAANA Ventures
(Moderator) Matt Gebbie, Director, Pacific Asia, Horwath HTL
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Green Minute: Sustainability in Tourism
Eric Ricaurte, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Greenview
Bjorn Courage, President, Phuket Hotels Association
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Bar, Restaurants and Concepts (BRAC)
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