• Digital Innovation Asia announces winners for the 2nd DIA Awards

    September 18, 2014
    Digital Innovation Asia announces winners for the 2nd DIA Awards

    Bangkok, Thailand : After the DIA E-Tourism Asia Boot Camp in Bangkok, Thailand, Digital Innovation Asia announced the winners and runner ups in each of the five categories, as well as presented the Top 5 Digital Innovators recently.

    Both the DIA E-Tourism Asia Boot-Camp, as well as the DIA Awards was free to attend for registered attendees, due to  sponsorship by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), and Digital Innovation Asia (DIA), as well as the support of many partners from travel trade media and the tourism industry.

    Last year’s DIA Awards winners included the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism Malaysia, Air New Zealand, e-Visa Cambodia (joint project by CINET Technologies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cambodia).

    According to Jens Thraenhart, Founder and Chairman of Digital Innovation Asia, “The DIA Awards are an important component of the mandate of Digital Innovation Asia to help build digital capacity in the Asia Pacific region to showcase innovation in order to inspire others.”

    DIGITAL INNOVATION ASIA AWARD: MOST IMPACTFUL DIGITAL INNOVATION

    This award recognizes online travel ventures that have leveraged technology in innovative ways in order to develop tourism, enhance the travel experience, improve guest services, and drive consumer engagement.

    WINNER

    12Go Thailand www.12go.asia/en

    RUNNER UPS

    Spottly Hong Kong, China www.spottly.com
    Trip38 India www.trip38.com

    E-TOURISM ASIA AWARD: MOST ENGAGING DIGITAL PRESENCE:

    This award recognizes the most viral campaign, most engaging website, most innovative mobile application, or most creative use of social media, promoting Asia Pacific as a tourism destination.

    WINNER

    Tourism Authority of Thailand Thailand Thailand Makeover Campaign

    RUNNER UPS

    Tourism Victoria Australia Remote Control Tourist
    Cebu Pacific Airlines Philippines Rain Codes

    E-TOURISM CHINA AWARD: MOST RELEVANT CHINESE DIGITAL PRESENCE:

    This award recognizes the most relevant mandarin-language website, most creative use of Mainland China social media, or most impactful campaign, marketing to Chinese consumers.

    WINNER

    Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts Hong Kong / China Tibet Pilgrimage

    RUNNER UPS

    Air New Zealand New Zealand Romance Class
    Tourism Indonesia Indonesia Chinese Blogger Trip

    DIGITAL AID ASIA AWARD: MOST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DIGITAL INITIATIVE:

    This award recognizes the most impactful and creative campaign, venture, or initiative in promoting and stimulating responsible and sustainable tourism development in Asia Pacific, as well as social and community-based tourism practices, and engaging consumers in being more conscious travelers.

    WINNER

    LocalAlike.com Thailand Tours

    RUNNER UPS

    MySocialMotion.org Thailand Social Giving
    Air Asia Malaysia Philippines Typhoon Relief

    BLOGGER MTCHUP AWARD: MOST CAPTIVATING DIGITAL STORY TELLING:

    This award recognizes the most riveting digitally published storytelling piece, from blog post, video, photo, review, and audio, discovering new and exciting destinations in Asia Pacific.

    WINNER

    Mark WiensMigrationology.com Thailand Thailand: Eating Thai Food Video Blog

    RUNNER UPS

    Bino CainaFramelessWorld.com Philippines Cambodia: Anlong Pi – Life in a Garbage Dump in Cambodia
    Nelson MochilerosMochileros.org Peru Thailand: Exploring Kanchanaburi

    THE TOP 5 DIGITAL INNOVATORS IN ASIA:

    The Top 5 Digital Innovator Award recognizes outstanding individuals that have showed innovation, creativity, leadership, and commercial impact, as well as achievements in challenging situations. The Top 5 Digital Innovators are our annual hot list of leaders that have truly raised the bar for the travel and tourism industry in Asia Pacific when it comes to digital innovation.

    Thapanee Kiapthaibool Tourism Tourism Authority of Thailand
    Angelina Fernandez Aviation Air Asia X
    Michael Leong Hotels Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
    Steven Htut Technology Myanmars.Net
    Amy Kunrojpanya Media Google

     Digital Innovation Asia (DIA), an affiliate member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), is committed to being a catalyst for digital capacity development in Asia Pacific travel and tourism, in order for tourism to develop in a responsible way, and alleviate poverty. 

    Sept. 2013

    • Connecting you with the world of travel and tourism

      Theme Park Expo Vietnam 2025

      Asia Pool & Spa Expo , May 10 – 12, 2025 , Guangzhou , China

      KAZAKHSTAN International Exhibition “Tourism & Travel” Almaty, Kazakhstan

      CHINA- Beyond your imagination

      Gulf Cooperation Council Tourism 

      Dubai – As tourism destinations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) continue to grow, involving local communities in destination development has become increasingly vital for long-term success.

      Abu Dhabi’s Tourism Strategy 2030 aims for 39.3 million visitors per year, while Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 targets 150 million domestic and international visits, emphasising how tourism is being established as a key element of economic diversification throughout the region.

      At Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, industry leaders emphasised that sustainable revitalisation of destinations must align tourism investments with community partnerships, cultural authenticity, and immersive guest experiences to provide lasting value for both residents and visitors.

      During the session on “Considerations and Implications of Involving Communities in Destination Revitalisation” on the ATM 2025 Global Stage, experts shared insights into building resilience, enhancing local prosperity, and ensuring tourism growth is both inclusive and enduring.

      Arabian Travel Market 2025, held under the theme “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity”,  featured more than 200 speakers across three content stages and welcomes over 55,000 travel professionals from 166 countries.

      Messe Berlin India launched 

      to drive growth of ITB India 

      Messe Berlin announces the official launch of Messe Berlin India, a newly incorporated subsidiary that underscores the company’s long-term commitment to one of Asia’s fastest-growing markets. Headquartered in Delhi , the new entity will serve as a strategic base for expanding ITB India and launching future projects tailored to the Indian market. With this establishment, Messe Berlin is reinforcing its vision of India as a regional hub for innovation, collaboration, and sustainable business growth within the exhibition and events industry.

      “Messe Berlin’s presence in India reflects our strategic intent to strengthen our international reach by being where the growth is. India is a key market for us — vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunities. With Messe Berlin India, we are laying down long-term foundations to build strong partnerships, support local industries, and elevate our global platforms,” said Dr. Mario Tobias, CEO, Messe Berlin.

      ITB India, inaugurated in 2023, continues as the flagship event under the new subsidiary. Held annually, ITB India is a three-day B2B travel trade show and convention that connects the global travel and tourism industry with the Indian market. Alongside MICE Show India, Travel Tech India, and the ITB India Conference, ITB India serves as a unique platform to forge new partnerships, strengthen existing ties, and capitalize on the fast-growing potential of the Indian and South Asian travel economies. The show hosts key players from the MICE, Leisure, Corporate Travel, and Travel Technology sectors. The upcoming edition, ITB India 2025, will take place from 2 – 4 September 2025  in Mumbai.

      FACTS —

      Tourism helps in:

      👉Reducing poverty

      👉Reducing Inequalities

      👉Promoting gender equality

      👉Fostering decent work and economic growth

      World Tourism Day 2021: ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’

      In 2019, Travel & Tourism’s direct, indirect and induced impact accounted for:
      -US$8.9 trillion contribution to the world’s GDP
      -10.3% of global GDP
      -330 million jobs, 1 in 10 jobs around the world
      -US$1.7 trillion visitor exports (6.8% of total exports,
      28.3% of global services exports)
      -US$948 billion capital investment (4.3% of total
      investment)

      Best Tourism Villages 2024

      ” Nihao ! China ” Silk Road Tourism