On 29 August 2023, Lt. Sorawud Preededilok, Minister attached to Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA), jointly presided over the opening ceremony for the Training Programme in Hospitality Management, together with Mr. Suzuki Kazuya, Chief Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA Thailand Office), at The Sukosol Hotel Bangkok. 

The training programme is a collaborative effort between TICA and JICA  under the TICA - JICA Triangular Cooperation for Palestine (Phase II) for the Development of Tourism Sector, with Mahidol University International College (MUIC) serving as the implementing agency. Also in attendance at the opening ceremony were the instructors from MUIC’s Tourism and Hospitality Management Division, and a representative from the Thai Hotels Association (THA).

The Training Programme in Hospitality Management in Thailand, from 28 August - 8 September 2023, aims at sharing of knowledge, expertise, and best practices of Thailand in hospitality management as well as capacity-building for the Palestinian workforce in the tourism and hospitality industry, focusing on hotel service quality management, hotel standard operating procedures (SOPs), and human resources development. 

The total of 10 participants from both the public and private sectors of Palestine has attended the programme on a balanced basis, which is conducive to collaborative learning and allows them to share and learn from each other’s perspectives and ideas. Given that the public and private sectors play a crucial role in the development of a sustainable and resilient tourism sector of Palestine in the long-term, it is highly expected that the participants from both sides will make the most of lessons learnt from activities in Thailand, particularly practical site visits in Bangkok and Ayutthaya Province, which can be applied and adjusted to the Palestinian context. 

On this occasion, Minister Sorawud Preededilok emphasised the importance of international development cooperation within the framework of South-South and Triangular Cooperation to assist a third developing country in the attainment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This triangular cooperation project for the development of the tourism sector responds to the request of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MOTA) of the State of Palestine, which expected the overall improvement of the Palestinian tourism sector, while also reflecting the partnership between TICA, JICA, and MUIC to strengthen development cooperation in a trilateral manner for the benefit of Palestine.