ASEAN tourism data from 2023 shows that Thailand had the highest number of foreign tourists in ASEAN, with a total of 28.09 million visitors. This figure is expected to increase annually.
The Department of Tourism’s mission is to develop the standards and potential of personnel in the tourism and service industries, ensuring they meet competency standards as set by ASEAN. To achieve this, the Department organised the ASEAN Master Trainer (MT) course from 19 to 29 August 2024, and the ASEAN Master Assessors (MA) course from 29 July to 9 August 2024, under the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA on TP) for the 2024 fiscal year.
Jaturon Phakdeewanit, Director-General of the Department of Tourism, stated that the Department, through the Tourism Professional Development Division, recruited 12 participants for each of the ASEAN Master Trainer and ASEAN Master Assessor courses. The participants were drawn from the tourism sector and educational institutions nationwide.
The courses covered six labour divisions: Housekeeping (HK), Front Office (FO), Food Production (FP), Food and Beverage Services (FB), Travel Agencies (TA), and Tour Operations (TO). Those who completed the training courses will be equipped to transfer their knowledge and skills to ASEAN Master Trainers (MT), ASEAN Master Assessors (MA), National Master Trainers (NT), and National Assessors (NA). Additionally, ASEAN Master Trainers (MT) and ASEAN Master Assessors (MA) can apply their expertise in the training and assessment of ASEAN Tourism Professionals (ATP), ensuring Thailand’s tourism industry aligns with international standards and meets industry needs.
This initiative will also facilitate the movement of professionals within the tourism industry across ASEAN member countries that have signed the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (MRA on TP).
