Open Forum on Linguistic Diversity and Tourism

FORUM DETAILS
Date: July 02, 2013 | Time: 16:00 – 19:30
Venue: The Hall of Fame, Assumption University, Hua Mak, Bangkok
RSVP: Open to public. Please Send an email to [email protected]

Recent years have seen an unprecedented growth in tourism in Thailand. In addition to well-established markets such as the UK, Germany, Japan and Malaysia, rapidly increasing numbers of tourists are arriving from China, Russia and India. Towards the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, both tourists, and tourism and hospitality workers are expected to arrive from newly emerging markets such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, adding even more linguistic diversity to the already multilingual tourism landscape and peoplescape. The ongoing tourism boom thus presents both a tremendous economic opportunity and a linguistic challenge to the nation – how can Thailand effectively attract and cater for tourists from linguistically diverse backgrounds, and meet their needs and desires satisfactorily while ensuring their safety? Tourism is made up of language- or communication-based practices, be they tourist-service provider interaction, promotion of destinations, signage in tourist attractions or guidebooks. Yet, the role of language and communication in tourism has largely been left out of the ongoing discussion on the future of Thai tourism.

Co-hosted by the Graduate School of Business and the Graduate School of English, this special one-day forum is the nation’s first attempt to bring linguists, tourism scholars and industry representatives to tackle the challenge of increasing linguistic diversity in the tourism industry in Thailand.

TENTATIVE PROGRAM
4:00 – 4:15   Welcome note: President Brother Bancha Saenghiran
4:15 – 5:00   Commemorative Address: Former Prime Minister His Excellency Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva
5:00 – 5:45   Keynote Lecture: Professor Ingrid Piller, Macquarie University, Australia
5:45 – 6:45   Panel discussion: Moderator: AJ. Glen Chatelier, Director of the Office of International Affairs
6:45 – 7:00   Closing address: Dr. Kitti Phothikitti, Dean of the Graduate School of Business