In an innovative response to safety concerns affecting Chinese tourism arrivals, Thailand’s government has deployed AI technology to directly address its key tourism market.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s AI-generated Mandarin message marks a significant pivot in crisis communication and destination marketing.
Breaking Language Barriers Through Technology
The strategy leverages generative AI to overcome traditional communication barriers, enabling the Thai PM to deliver a reassuring message in fluent Mandarin – a capability she doesn’t possess in real life!
This tech-forward approach demonstrates Thailand’s commitment to maintaining its vital tourism relationship with China.
Numbers Tell A Compelling Story
With Chinese visitors comprising nearly one-sixth of Thailand’s 1.3 million tourist arrivals in early January, the stakes are high.
The government projects a 7% increase in Chinese tourists during next week’s Lunar New Year holidays, potentially generating 8.8 billion baht (RM1.13 billion) in revenue.
Marketing Implications
This case study highlights several key trends in destination marketing:
Crisis communication evolving through AI adoption
Personalised messaging at scale through synthetic media
Cultural sensitivity in market-specific communication
Tech innovation in public sector marketing
Brand Trust in the AI Era
While the video’s transparent disclosure of its AI nature (including visible glitches like distorted hands) raises questions about authenticity in brand communication, it also suggests a new paradigm where technological honesty coexists with marketing effectiveness.
Looking Ahead
This pioneering use of AI in tourism marketing could set a precedent for how destinations manage crisis communication and market outreach in an increasingly digital-first world, particularly when targeting tech-savvy Asian markets.
The APPIES is an annual event that presents a rare opportunity for creative, media, digital and marketing agencies or brands to present their best campaigns to the industry.
This is the only event where Live Presentations meets Live Judging.
Similar to TED Talks, The APPIES is the chance for great presenters with outstanding work to show it off to some of the industry’s most important industry leaders.
This year’s winners will receive Gold, Silver or Bronze trophies for 21 categories, and 6 special Best of Best categories (red trophies) that require no submissions!
Campaign entries must have run between June 2024 to May 2025
