BANGKOK, 10 July 2025: A new series of Travel & Tourism webinars, designed to broaden the focus of industry discourse to cover ‘politically incorrect’ subjects, has been launched in Thailand.
The first one is set for 18 July on the topic of “What Next for Thai Tourism? – Life After 65”.
The webinars have been conceptualised and designed by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor of Travel Impact Newswire, one of the longest-serving travel trade journalists and a respected historian of Asia Pacific tourism.
He describes a ‘politically incorrect’ webinar as one which “goes beyond the traditional comfort zones, steers clear of mumbo-jumbo sloganeering, and promotes an honest, intellectually-stimulating, respectful and productive discussion of issues that matter. Nothing, repeat nothing, is off the table,” Muqbil says.
He calls the current crop of industry forums “an insult to the intelligence of participants,” claiming the topics all steer clear of anything even remotely controversial for fear of upsetting the organisers and/or sponsors.
“The speakers all end up saying the same thing. The questions are whetted and routed via moderators or through apps where they can be selectively chosen. Does that contribute to a productive, interactive session? I don’t think so.”
Muqbil argues that Thailand is the best launchpad for such a project, considering it ended the first half of 2025 with visitor arrivals of 16.7 million, a 4.6% decrease from the first half of 2024.
“What was once the leading tourism destination in Asia is now one of the worst-performing. A desperate industry is working overtime to crank up the numbers. However, it is only treating the symptoms. The root causes run much deeper and have been building up for years, mainly because they were kept off the table.”
Unfortunately, he says, the Thai tourism industry is still failing to ask itself some critical ‘politically incorrect’ questions, such as:
- Is it repeating all its past mistakes?
- As an ageing destination, what “health & wellness” therapies are required?
- Is the Tourism Authority of Thailand on the right track?
- Is the industry leadership ready and up to the mark?
He adds, “I go to dozens of industry forums where the same old line-up of visionary, thought-leaders who rehash the same old textbook solutions.
“Garbage in, then leads to garbage out. Travel & Tourism deserves better. It is no longer an economic lifeline but a source of national security. As the industry is constantly talking about change, its discussion forums must mature and change, too.”
The 18 July session will include a carefully researched analysis of visitor arrivals over the first six months from 75 source markets, which Muqbil says provides clear indicators of where future marketing opportunities lie. A discussion of the ‘politically incorrect’ topics will follow, exploring some underlying, long-term solutions.
In conclusion, he affirms that the webinar’s core strength lies in its independence and sponsorship-free nature.
Participants will need to support the webinars by paying a fee to help cover the costs of research, organisation and analysis.
Click here for registration and more details:
