During the COVID-19 pandemic and its simultaneous restrictions, tourism thrives as a popular business sector. Within this industry, a diverse range of players, from major established companies to small and medium-sized travel agencies, face daily challenges in maintaining their competitiveness and fostering customer loyalty. In this context, the utilisation of big data emerges as a crucial element in achieving these objectives.
Big data is valuable for gaining deeper insights into customer preferences and requirements. By harnessing the power of data analytics, businesses can better understand their customers’ evolving needs and expectations. This knowledge empowers them to tailor their offerings and services to meet these demands effectively, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In light of the significance of data in the tourism realm, Dr Sakkawet Yosang, the Director of the Digital Industry Promotion Department, Mr Pracha Asawathira, the Director of the Southern Region and Acting Manager of the Upper Southern Region, along with Mr Tantaphon Pannakthongcharoen, the Investment Promotion Division Manager, spent a visit to the City Data Platform for Tourism project.
This initiative is supported and promoted through the Digital Startup Fund measures implemented by the Digital Economy Promotion Agency (Depa). The primary objective of this project is to provide comprehensive assistance and subsidies to facilitate the establishment of industrial businesses in the digital sector.
The Depa Digital Startup Fund is specifically designed to foster investment and support startup enterprises in their early stages of development and juristic person registration. Businesses must have been established as limited companies for over three years, focusing on digital industry ventures falling under the S2 category.
The City Data Platform for Tourism project is a prime example of Depa’s commitment to nurturing and promoting digital startups. Depa aims to empower emerging businesses in the digital industry to thrive and contribute to the overall economy’s growth by offering financial aid, expertise, and strategic guidance.
The inception of the City Data Platform for Tourism can be traced back to the challenges that emerged in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak, particularly impacting entrepreneurs in the tourism industry of Phuket. Considering the crucial role of Phuket as a main tourist hotspot and its substantial contribution to the economy of Thailand, it became essential to develop a solution that would support and empower entrepreneurs operating in this industry.
Hence, the City Data Platform for Tourism was conceptualised as a valuable tool to enhance the efficiency of business planning. By incorporating competitor analysis and comparison tools (CDT) presented through a comprehensive summary screen and graphical displays, the platform aims to provide entrepreneurs with crucial insights. The primary objective is to equip entrepreneurs with the necessary information and data to make informed decisions and improve their business strategies.
Through the dashboard and graphical representations, the City Data Platform for Tourism enables entrepreneurs to delve into intricate details about various hotel industry aspects. It includes analysing pricing strategies, geolocation data, customer search trends, and gathering valuable consumer information from travel platforms through the dedicated application.
The platform seeks to fulfil the needs of entrepreneurs by facilitating easy access to high-quality data, empowering them to analyse and compare different hotel properties comprehensively. This endeavour is believed to strengthen and empower the tourism sector in Thailand.