designing for tourism innovation in

THAILAND
INDUSTRY RESEARCH PROJECT
b y Marc Morrell
 INDEX

Arriving in Bangkok
Photograph by Marc Morrell
01. A B STRACT, M E THODOLOGY AND ETHICS 05
1.1 Abstract
1.2 Scope
1.3 Methodology
1.4 Ethics

02. LI TE RATUR E R E VIEW 12

2.1 Introduction
2.2 Defining Innovation
2.3 How is Tourism Changing?
2.4 The Thai Startup Ecosystem

03. V I E W FR OM THE EXPERTS 28
3.1 Introducing the Industry Experts
3.2 A Perspective on the Future of Travel
3.3 The Impact of Culture
3.4 Understanding Innovation
3.5 The Role of Trust
3.6 New Insights
3.7 Conclusions

04. A LOOK AT A N I NNOVATIVE TRAVEL COMPANY 35

4.1 Why AirBnB is Innovative
4.2 How AirBnB Innovate
4.3 How AirBnB’s Mission Translates into Action
4.4 Insights

05 . I NTR OD UCI NG TAKEMETOUR 39

5.1 Who are TakeMeTour?
5.2 The Perspective of the Founders
5.3 The Future for TakeMeTour
5.4 The Competition
5.5 My Perspective
5.6 Defining the Challenge

06 . R ECOM M E NDATIONS 45
6.1 Designing a Response to the Challenge
6.2 Building a Culture of Empathy and Trust at TakeMeTour
6.3 Turning Empathy and Trust into Innovative Value

07. C ONCLUS I ON 55
7.1 Feedback
7.2 Interpreting the Feedback
7.3 Iterations
7.4 Conclusion

08 . BI B LI OG RA PHY 59

09. A PPE ND I X 67
 01.

My apartment in Bangkok
Photograph by Marc Morrell
A B ST RACT,
ME T H O D O LO GY
& ET H IC S
1.1 Abstract
1.2 Scope
1.3 Methodology
1.3.1 Tools
1.3.2 Techniques
1.3.3 Limitations of the Methodology
1.4 Ethics
1.1 AB STRACT
This research project explored tourism innovation in Thailand. For three months of
its four month duration I worked as an intern at TakeMeTour in Bangkok, a Thai travel
startup specialising in one day tours hosted by locals. The project was conducted in
Thailand as it is one of the world’s preeminent tourism destinations, with an economy
heavily reliant on the tourism industry. However, Thailand’s innovation output within
the travel tech space struggles to match the digital economy aspirations of the Thai
Government. Through working with TakeMeTour I have been able to research the
possible causes, as well as identify ways in which the company can respond to trends,
threats, and opportunities to better innovate in a challenging climate.
The project began by travelling to Thailand with a number of research questions around
innovation, tourism trends, and the Thai startup ecosystem. Once integrated into the
company, I began by consulting pre-published information to familiarise myself with
the context in which I was working, as well as understand that which was already known
about the difficulties associated with tourism innovation in Thailand. Thereafter, through
deeper immersion into the Thai startup ecosystem, I conducted interviews with experts
where I sought to explore how my findings intersected in the real world, as well as to
gain a deeper insight into where they believed the biggest challenges lay. In combination
with a case study of an innovative tourism company, as well as my direct findings
through observation and interaction at TakeMeTour, the project developed towards
aset of recommendations designed to enhance TakeMeTour’s innovation capabilities
within its local context.

1.2 SCOP E
Tourism is a key enabler of the global economy yet historically has been reactive to
technological advancements (IATA, 2017). Therefore, this is not a problem unique to
Thailand. However, whilst understanding that this is a globally pervasive issue, this
research project seeks to identify ways in which the industry might become more
proactive in Thailand specifically. This will begin by exploring the following three
research questions:
Firstly, where is the current academic thinking on innovation and is it relevant to tourism?
Secondly, what is changing in travel and how are new trends likely to impact TakeMeTour?
Thirdly, how well developed is Thailand’s startup scene and what factors influence its
innovative capabilities?
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 In seeking answers to these questions, the project will conclude with a respectful
blueprint for TakeMeTour’s future innovation needs, proposing solutions to anticipated
changes, unforeseen challenges, and how they may be met with the confidence to
embrace them as opportunities.

1.3 METHOD OLO GY

“It’s surprising how frequently policymakers solve the wrong problem; a problem perceived
in one way by the outside world but totally differently by those actually experiencing it.”
(Hilton, 2015, p.25)
A selection of tools and techniques applied in previous research activity at Hyper Island
have been selected to ensure the most appropriate research practises to identify the
correct problems and appropriate solutions.

1 . 3. 1 TOOLS
AG I LE
Agile working is a response to the historical hierarchical approaches to managing
projects, creating new ways for teams to adapt quickly to turbulent markets by taking
them out of silos and encouraging customer-centric self management instead (Rigby et
al, 2016).
The “Manifesto for Agile Software Development” emphasises four core principles, which
help achieve this (Cervone, 2011):
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
Working software over comprehensive documentation.
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
Responding to change over following a plan.
The flexibility that Agile offers is suitable for conducting this research project as there are
multiple unknowns and an unspecified desired outcome. It may be necessary to adapt
and alter my approach as the project develops, therefore Agile principles are suitable
for responding to the unexpected and allowing the project to be led by discovery, rather
than belief.

DES I G N THI NK I NG
“Design Thinking is a ‘human centred’ approach to innovation that draws from the
designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the
requirements for business success.” – (Brown, IDEO, no date)
This project will likely require the use of empathy, therefore as Design Thinking is about
a deep understanding of the lives of the people being designed for, it obliges an open
mind, rather than the selling of one’s own ideas (Hilton, 2015).

DOUBLE DI A M OND
The design process can be convoluted and misunderstood by those who do not
consider themselves designers. Aiming to address this, a prominent model that gives
Design Thinking structure is the British Design Council’s Double Diamond, Fig. 1, which
guides the design thinker through two diamond shaped journeys, using the concept of
divergent and convergent thinking in order to arrive at two touch points to define and
deliver a solution. This project will use the following Design Thinking framework:

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 Fig. 1: Double Diamond, British Design Council, 2005

DI S COV E R (DI VERGE NT)

Connect and empathise; gather information and understand the problems. Look at the
world in a fresh way, notice new things and gather insights.
DE FI NE (CO N VERGENT)
Collate and analyse information to help define the specific problem. The goal here is to
develop a clear creative brief that frames the fundamental research challenge.
Arrive at the definition of the problem the research project intends to solve:
How Might We_____________________________________?
DE V E LOP (DI VERGENT)
Generation of ideas where concepts are created, prototyped, tested and iterated. A
process of trial and error aids the design thinker to refine ideas.
DE LI V E RY (CO N VERG E NT)
The finalising and implementation of outcomes, leading to the production or launch of
a product, service or intervention.

1. 3. 2 TECHNI QUES
To enhance the efficacy of Design Thinking, a qualitative research approach will be
used. This will begin by exploring previous research, thereafter seeking elaboration,
enhancement, illustration, and clarification through interviews and observation (Morse
and Field, 1996).

G UA R D I NG AG A I NST PERSONAL BIAS

I have a long standing association with the travel industry as a former Airline Captain
and through the family tourism business Voyages Jules Verne, presenting a risk of
confirmation bias as the research develops towards conclusions. This project should
be guided by discovery, not preconception. Easterly Smith et al’s work on designing
research emphasise awareness of this by reference to Ontology, how we construct
reality, and Epistemology, the set of assumptions about how to investigate the world
(Easterby Smith et al, 2012).
My own ontological and epistemological construction leans towards the ‘Interpretivist
Paradigm’, where the world is socially constructed and subjective (Easterby-Smith
et al,1991). Mindful of this, the method I intend to use for data collection is an
ethnographical one, an anthropological practice which assumes “observations and open
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 ended interviews reveal more about a person’s beliefs, needs, emotions, and desires than opinion
surveys and market research ever could.” (Hilton, 2015, p.24)

DES K R ES E A R CH
Forming the basis of the Literature Review, this will comprise consultation and critical
analysis of pre-published information, sourced from academic articles, trusted sources,
and literature surrounding the research questions outlined above. The findings will be
treated as conjecture upon which deeper exploration of their practical application will
be applied to help formulate theory (Morse and Field, 1996).

Q UA LI TATI V E R ES E ARC H
As part of qualitative research I have chosen to conduct Expert Interviews as a rich
source of real world insight. According to Meuser and Nagel, an expert is defined as
follows (Meuser and Nagel, as cited in Van Audenhove, 2007):
A person responsible for the development, implementation or control of solutions/
strategies/policies;
A person who has privileged access to information about groups of persons or
decision processes.
It is important to establish that knowledge obtained from experts is not neutral and that
interview style and setting influences information obtained (Van Audenhove, 2007). In
order to obtain the best possible qualitative data, I have approached experts on the basis
of their relevance to the topics that I am exploring and shall conduct open ended, semi-
structured interviews that place an emphasis on eliciting motives, beliefs, and routines
to gain deep insight into their expertise (Van Audenhove, 2007).
All participants will be advised of the purpose of their participation, their right to
withdraw within a specified time frame and shall, where possible, be recorded.

OBS E RVATI ON
This will involve integrating myself in to the day-to-day workings of TakeMeTour and
observing the way they operate. I do not intend to interfere or advise, rather to ask
questions as I go along to build a broad understanding of where the organisation is
in its evolution and where the areas for development may be through comparison
to the findings from desk research and interviews.

1. 3. 3 LI M I TATI ONS OF THE METHODOLOGY

• The existing body of research around tourism innovation in Thailand is slim,
therefore the intention of this project is to uncover new insights and provide new
knowledge. However, there are limitations to what can be achieved within the
timeframe and context:
• Although the Thai startup I am working with speak English, their business is partly
conducted in Thai, which I do not speak. This may mean that subtleties and nuances
that could lead to deeper insight are missed. Where appropriate, I will ask for
clarification and/or translation.
• Access to other startups in Thailand is limited by the size of the ecosystem. From
early research, the guarding of intellectual property is a particular concern, therefore
I have been asked not to contact TakeMeTour’s direct competition. I will seek
permission from TakeMeTour before approaching other companies in Thailand for
research purposes and I will be protective of their IP.
• I will not have access to sensitive company information, such as financials, and have
signed a nondisclosure agreement with the company. Therefore, I will be unable to
08
 assess the financial health of the business and draw inferences from it.
• Culture eats strategy for breakfast; to that extent I will always be mindful of the
context in which this project is taking place. I do not intend to criticise or change
national culture, or even company culture, rather to observe and respectfully reveal
an alternative perspective for TakeMeTour’s consideration.
These challenges, if managed correctly and ethically, can advance awareness of this
particular research area and lead to a useful intervention for TakeMeTour.

1.4 ETHICS
“In a region as big as Asia, you run the gamut of cities/countries that are ultra sensitive
and respectful around privacy, and those who don’t understand why there would even be a
concern in the first place.” (Peng, IDEO, p.54)
IDEO’s David Kelley suggests that ethics are an abstract construct, but broadly comprise
bringing respect, responsibility and honesty to our dealings with people. This applies to
those we teach, as well as those we learn from, therefore the challenge is to make the
abstract concrete (Kelley, 2015).
When operating in a foreign country, Kelley argues that ethical behaviour should be
held to a higher standard than that which the law requires and in so doing suggests the
following as a set of ethical principles and guidelines by which to abide (adapted from
IDEOS’s Little Book of Research Design Ethics, 2015):

PR I NCI PLES
Respect
Honour participants’ limits and value their comfort. Treat them as people rather than subjects
and be kind. In a country like Thailand ask: “Am I being respectful?”, “Do I have consent?”
Responsibility
Act to protect people’s current and future interests and do not mislead.
Honesty
Be truthful and timely in communication.

GUI DE LI NES
Planning & Preparation
Keep TakeMeTour accurately informed
Seek support to clarify ethical ambiguity
Give interview participants clear explanations
Seek permission, not forgiveness
Keep research activities lean in the field

Gathering Information
Introduce myself accurately
Listen and don’t advise
Don’t make promises I can’t keep
Take only the information needed

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 Using & Sharing
Consider the audience
Represent honestly what I learn
Guard raw data
Protect participants’ recognisability and traceability
Archive materials carefully

SE NS I TI V I TY TOWA RDS HOST C ULTURES

As a large portion of this project will be conducted in Thailand, cultural sensitivity
is a primary consideration. Research may involve inquiry and exploration of history,
etiquette, dress, and food, particulars bound up in national identity that may
inadvertently cause offence if questioned or challenged insensitively (Duncan, 2011).
Therefore, in ‘The Power of Ethical Management’ Blanchard and Peale suggest that when
researching cross-culturally, assumptions and uncertainties should be tested against the
following (Blanchard and Peale, 1988):
Is it legal? Will I break any civil laws or company regulations?
Has the relationship balance been achieved? Is it fair towards all it may concern, in both
short and long-term perspectives? Does it promote the relations of mutual benefits?
How shall I feel afterwards? Will it make me proud? Would I feel good if my findings were
published in the newspapers? Would I feel good if my family found out about it?

RES PECT FOR TA K E METOUR’S PRIVACY

Finally, this project will comprise information and perspectives drawn from multiple
sources. However, as the focus is ultimately on TakeMeTour, the company wish to have
this report made only accessible to Hyper Island and the assessors at Teeside University.

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 02.

View from Bangkok Library

Photograph by Marc Morrell
LITERAT U RE
R EV IEW
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Defining Innovation
2.2.1 Why Innovation Matters
2.2.2 What Causes Companies to Fail?
2.2.3 Making Innovation More Predictable
2.2.4 How Innovation Efforts Can Be Shared
2.2.5 Identifying New Markets
2.2.6 The Building Blocks of an Innovative Culture
2.2.7 Insights
2.3 How is Tourism Changing?
2.3.1 A Greater Desire for Humanity in Travel
2.3.2 Competing with Digital Realities
2.3.3 Artificial Intelligence & Greater Personalisation
2.3.4 Insights
2.4 The Thai Startup Ecosystem
2.4.1 Understanding the Startup Approach
2.4.2 Contextualising Thailand’s Startup Ecosystem
2.4.3 Identifying the Challenges
2.4.4 The Possible Causes
2.4.5 The Impact of National Culture
2.4.6 Insights

2 .1 INTROD UCTION
Travel and tourism offerings are a sizeable portion of the startup landscape (Paget,
Dimanche and Mounet, 2010). However, tourism innovation literature is fragmented and
scattered around niche specialisations with little addressing Asia generally and Thailand
more specifically. Thailand is a particularly interesting case study as it is amongst the
most visited countries in the world with a significant portion of its GDP attributable to
tourism, yet its tourism innovation output within the travel-tech space is currently under
developed (WTCC, 2017). The literature review will begin by defining and establishing
the case for innovation, followed by an analysis of shifting trends in tourism and where
the industry should focus its innovation efforts. The general findings from these two
sections will then be contextualised through an in-depth exploration of the Thai startup
ecosystem in order to understand its unique characteristics and identify where the
challenges to stimulating tourism innovation in Thailand may lie. For the purpose
of establishing a working definition of tourism in this project, the UN World Tourism
Organisation’s definition will be used:
‘Tourism comprises the activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside
their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and
12 other purposes’ (World Tourism Organisation, 1993).
 The global tourism industry is often faced with the challenge of understanding how to
develop innovation capabilities from within (Martinez, 2017). Further, the multimodal
and complex activities of tourism companies make an objective study of how to address
those innovation challenges from an empirical and theoretical point of view difficult
(Cruz et al. 2016). However, tourism can be broadly arranged into three distinct sectors
of Transportation, Accommodation, and Activities; therefore, this literature review will
mitigate some of the above by focussing on those innovation challenges most relevant to
TakeMeTour’s ‘Activities’ sector.

2 .2 D EFINING IN N OVAT ION

“Not all innovation is technological. Although digital transformation has reached the
tourism industry in earnest and is gradually changing jobs and customer relations, it is
important to understand that technology is not an end, but a means, and that tourism is
an individual experience, often shared on — and offline.” (Martinez, 2017)
Many tourism providers have harnessed the power of smart technologies to create
solutions to tasks that had previously been fulfilled by less desirable means (Huang et al,
2015). Whilst technological advancements may be revolutionary, it is arguable that their
innovative value in tourism is the progress they present for better human interactions. In
other words, technology is an innovation enabler, not an end in itself (Diekhöner, 2017).
It has been said that innovation is a theory of the history of how society moves
forward, thus it is more than just a business imperative (Gobble, 2015). However,
multiple theories are still debated about what causes one product to succeed where
another fails, raising questions as to whether innovative success is predictable or
whether luck plays a hand (Christensen, 2016).

2 . 2. 1 WHY I NNOVATION MATTERS

Fig. 2:
Reeves et al, HBR.org, 2015

13
 Global Consultancy firm McKinsey report that 84% of global executives cite innovation
as extremely important to their growth strategies (McKinsey, 2010). Analysis of the
figures demonstrate that their priorities are well founded; innovation, and the creative
destruction it gives rise to, has resulted in only 12% of Fortune 500 firms from 1960 still
being in existence today (Perry, 2016).
Further, with reference to Fig. 2, it can be seen that the average lifespan of an S&P
company is decreasing year on year, largely because of an inability to adapt to the
complexity of the modern business landscape (McGrath, 2013). According to Innosight,
at the current turnover rate, 75% of the S&P 500 will be replaced by 2027 (Innosight,
2017). With a significant number of leading tourism brands, including Expedia and
Hilton, on the S&P500, it is highly likely that tourism providers will need to engage in
continuous evolution in order to adapt to the volatility of international travel demands
for both survival and growth (Hsu et al, 2016).
It may be said that many corporations are still not well placed to innovate, with a
tendency towards developing established concepts more efficiently, rather than
adopting new thinking. Consequently, Steve Hilton observes two distinct types of
response when confronted with a threat from a competitor (Hilton, 2016):
1. Erecting barriers to entry to prevent new, more innovative competitors from launching,
or succeeding once they launch;
2. Adopting a collaborative, human-centred approach, often with multiple parties,
based on mutually beneficial relationships to produce greater value for
society than could otherwise be produced on their own.
Insofar as the second approach is favourable, it is helpful to identify commonalities
and causalities that may encourage and enhance the thinking necessary to succeed at
innovation.

2. 2. 2 W HAT CAUS ES COMPANIES TO FAIL?

Disruption Theory describes a phenomenon in which products that lack in traditionally
favoured attributes can transform a market and capture mainstream consumers from
formerly dominant companies (Guttentag, 2013). Initially developed to understand why
companies fail, Professor Christensen has also identified characteristics common to
successful disruptive products:
• Typically underperform against a prevailing product’s key performance metrics.
• Offer a distinct set of new benefits, such as being cheaper.
• Appeal to the low-end of the market or create a completely new market.
Fig. 3, highlights how companies should be vigilant to falling behind as products
or services with disruptive attributes gain in popularity (Christensen et al, 2015).
A noteworthy example in tourism is AirBnB, who addressed consumer needs by
connecting tourists directly with hosts in destination, thereby disrupting traditional
hotels because of the relative value for money and the new ‘local’ experience the sector
creates (Hsu et al, 2016).
However, not every new idea that aspiring entrepreneurs may wish to launch is
disruptive and its overuse may distract from the real issues with emergent products
and companies (Gobble, 2015). Further, whilst Disruption Theory is useful for identifying
potential threats, it does not attempt to make the argument that ‘new is good’ and nor
is it the only way to gain a competitive advantage (Gobble, 2015).

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 Fig. 3: What is Disruptive Innovation?, HBR.org, 2015

2 . 2. 3 M A K I NG I NNOVATION MORE PREDICTABLE

If Disruption Theory attempts to understand what causes companies to fail, Jobs Theory
may help explain the underlying causal mechanism that allows innovation to become
predictable: understanding the progress a consumer is trying to make in particular
circumstances (Christensen, 2016). Jobs Theory asserts that to accurately predict what
a customer wants, companies must understand why a customer chooses a particular
solution to a specific problem. With reference to Fig. 4, Christensen argues that most
customer purchases do not centre exclusively around function, rather they often
have powerful social and emotional components that are overlooked by traditional
innovation efforts. Understanding these motivations can lead to solving problems that
formerly had only inadequate solutions (Christensen et al, 2016).

Fig. 4: Jobs Theory, Klement, 2016

15
 Whilst each ‘Job’ may contain the same three emotional desires as outlined by
Christensen, Klement argues each ‘Job’ is a unique combination and ratio of these
desires. Therefore, Jobs Theory demands that assumptions are removed and instead,
innovators should ascertain the validity of their ‘Job’ by asking “How might my customer
be better since they started using this product?” (Klement, 2016).
Finally, it must be stated that Jobs Theory attempts to deal with real people and their
behaviours, therefore it does not distill numerical data that can be manipulated in
spreadsheets. Instead, it attempts to explain that numbers can disguise stories that
are otherwise rich in data and require a uniquely human-centred approach to elicit
(Christensen, 2016).

2 . 2. 4 HOW I NNOVATION EF FORTS CAN BE SHARED

The phenomenon by which innovation efforts are shared between different companies
is commonly referred to as Open Innovation, based upon Professor Henry Chesbrough’s
theory that knowledge to innovate rarely resides in a single organisation. Where
traditionally innovation efforts have been a vertical, top-down system of Closed
Innovation, Fig. 5 illustrates ways in which Open Innovation encourages collaboration
amongst multiple different parties who may historically have been seen
as competitors (Chesbrough, 2003).

Fig. 5:
Chesbrough,
OurIdeaWorks.com, 1993

The Open Innovation paradigm consists of two distinct phenomena, Outside-In and
Inside-Out (Chesbrough, 2012).
Outside-In: Opening up a company’s innovation processes to many kinds of external inputs
and contributions.
Inside-Out: Organisations allow unused and under-utilised ideas to go outside the
organisation for others to use in their businesses.
Today, Open Innovation is a mainstream research area and has been shown to help
companies reduce costs, accelerate time to market, increase differentiation in the
market, and create new revenue streams (Gassmann et al, 2010), However, Pisano
warns that Open Innovation is not an ‘off the shelf’ solution for galvanising innovation;
efforts must be led by management who believe in it and new strategies should be
implemented to ensure its effectiveness as part of a coherent system (Pisano, 2015).
This may be particularly important in Thailand as it is known that many companies
closely guard their intellectual property. Further, whilst efforts of the Thai government
16
 are actively encouraging more open-source adoption, greater education of the benefits
would need to occur prior to widespread adoption (Yu, 2016).

2 . 2. 5 I DE NTI FY I NG NEW MARKETS

Taking a more strategic perspective, Blue Ocean references a new market space a
company can open up through innovation, rather than focussing on a share of an
established market (Kim & Mauborgne, 2004). Similar to aforementioned academic
thought, the authors suggest that good ideas alone do not lead to profitable innovations,
rather optimising profitability and ensuring execution are crucial. The discovery of Blue
Oceans is often inhibited by limited resources, lack of motivation amongst stakeholders,
employee indifference and internal politics (Kim & Mauborgne, 2004).
Blue Oceans appear in one of two ways, through the launch of completely new
industries, or when a Blue Ocean is created from within a Red Ocean, as a company
expands the boundaries of an existing industry (HBR, 2004). However, it should be noted
that simply creating something original is not enough to create and capture a Blue
Ocean, rather it is a strategy that aligns value, profit, and people propositions in pursuit
of both differentiation and low cost (Randall, 2015).
More recently Kim & Mauborgne have addressed the above barriers to discovering Blue
Oceans through emphasis on a more human approach to innovation that focusses on
confidence of employees as a function of company culture (Kim & Mauborgne, 2017).

2 . 2. 6 THE BUI LDI NG BLOC KS OF AN INNOVATIVE C ULTURE

Reinforcing the concept of employee confidence, having studied innovation among 759
companies based in 17 major markets, Tellis et al concluded that corporate culture was
a much more important driver of radical innovation than labour, capital, government or
even national culture (Tellis et al, 2009). However, their research gives rise to two further
lines of enquiry: what exactly is an innovative culture and is it possible to create one if it
does not exist?
Weintreib and Rau suggest that all successful innovative cultures will consist of 6
building blocks (Weintreib and Rau, 2013):
• Values
• Behaviours
• Climate
• Resources
• Processes
• Success
Their research highlights that many companies will focus on resources, processes and
success due to their tangible metrics. However, the values, behaviours, and climate
segments are less quantifiable, but equally as important. Further, this theory
suggests that all successfully innovative companies will have at least one of the building
blocks firmly in place (Weintreib and Rau, 2013). This is significant for the contours of
this project as the research is being conducted in Thailand and it is long established that
national culture informs strategic and operational culture in organisations in different
parts of the world (Schneider, 1989).
In answering their original question, the authors concluded that cultures change very
slowly and it is difficult to change deep-seated beliefs and behaviours and redefine
success quickly. Therefore, they recommend resisting trying to change lots of things
at once and instead to focus on small victories to leverage their successes into a
broader transformation (Weintreib and Rau, 2013).
17
 2 . 2.7 I NS I G HTS
Recent innovation thinking promotes an empathy driven process, which is less about
technology itself, rather insight into human needs in order to identify gaps in the market
where progress can be made. This may be a helpful insight for understanding tourism
innovation, particularly as it is a deeply human, experiential pursuit.
There is also a compelling link between innovation and culture. Therefore, it is probable
that challenging convention, sharing ideas, or risking failure may be counter-intuitive in
some parts of the world. Consequently, it is possible that certain innovation paradigms
may be more appropriate within certain cultural contexts than others.
As tourism is a complex and culturally diverse ecosystem, it is arguable that an ability
to understand what it is customers are trying to achieve and to cooperate commercially
with other businesses to create holistic experiences, may be a competitive advantage.
The extent to which any of these practises are either implemented or understood in
Thailand as part of its broader innovation strategies will need to be investigated further
through interviews with experts.

2 .3 HOW IS TOURIS M C H ANG IN G ?

The way tourism experiences are located and curated has changed significantly in
recent years, with demand for standardised tour products declining steadily due to
the rise of online travel agents, location-based services, data analytics, and the sharing
economy (Guttentag, 2013). These have empowered tourists to co-create their travel
experiences with destination-based suppliers, thereby reducing the need for the
traditional operators (Hsu et al, 2016). Further, the demand for technology-enabled
travel experiences is increasing, rendering traditional tourism providers vulnerable
to disruption (Neuhofer et al, 2015).
Travel industry analysts Skift have identified significant emerging tourism trends. This
includes the maturation of TakeMeTour’s ‘Activities Market’ segmentation. Reference
is also made to other macro-trends, three of which have potential to influence the
experiences market: a future with a greater desire for humanity, a future where
Artificial Intelligence aids greater personalisation and an alternative vision where
the future is created through Digital Realities (Ali, 2017). Therefore, it is crucial to
understand how these changes may create a new set of challenges within the activities
market so experiences providers can adapt to keep pace (Hsu et al, 2016).

2 . 3. 1 A G R E ATE R D ESIRE FOR HUMANITY IN TRAVEL

The collaborative consumption of underused assets, which give rise to the potential
for more authentic local experiences, has become known as the ‘Sharing Economy’
(Guttentag, 2013). More recently, this trend has also been referred to as the ‘Experience
Economy’ (Hsu et al, 2016). A desire for authenticity in travel is not new, as MacCannell
noted in 1973 that many travellers have:
‘A desire to share in the real life of the places visited, or at least to see that life as it is really
lived. Tourists try to enter back regions of the places they visit because these regions are
associated with intimacy of relations and authenticity of experiences.’
(MacCannell, p.589, 1973)
Arguably, part of the popularity of platforms such as AirBnB, Uber, and Couchsurfing,
digital platforms that link peer-to-peer resources (Alstyne, 2016), is that they allow new
ways for MacCannell’s insights to be realised. By acting as trust intermediaries between
individuals, rather than the use of agencies, the anticipated growth of the Sharing
Economy presents a future for many other facilities and experiences to be shared
between people outside of traditional suppliers (Diekhöner, 2017).
18
 However, whilst sharing economy practises partly cater for a desire for deeper human
connection, conflict has developed between sharing platforms and regulatory
authorities, whose legislation has failed to keep pace (Guttentag, 2013). In some
countries, such as Thailand, sharing economy practises are now being made illegal,
largely due to pressure from the incumbents (Rauch & Schleicher, 2015).
Although the argument in favour of the continued growth of the Sharing Economy is its
potential for a greater number of services and human connections, experience providers
may need to balance this against the continuing regulatory clampdown and pressure
from the incumbents they are likely to face (Guttentag, 2013). Despite the Sharing
Economy’s growing importance to the tourism economy, it is a phenomenon currently
characterised by uncertainty, raising the question of what else may cater for a desire for
closer connection if sharing’s reach is curtailed (Allen, 2015).

2 . 3. 2 COM PE TI NG WITH DIGITAL REAL ITIES

Competing at the other end of the spectrum from the Sharing Economy, platforms and
products collectively known as ‘Digital Realities’ are forecast to become a $162 billion
market by 2020, with significant potential impact for the travel industry (Peltier, 2017).
These technologies comprise the following (Sabre, 2017):
Virtual Reality (VR) VR, Fig. 6, allows the real world to be supplanted by digital, with
the potential to ‘experience’ any number of activities, all without leaving home. This is likely
to have significant impact on travel preplanning habits.
Augmented Reality (AR) An evolution of what a traditional tour guide already offers,
AR adds a layer of digital content to a user’s real-world while still keeping the senses engaged
in the real-world environment. Amongst other tourism benefits is the possibility of real
time translation.
Mixed Reality (MR) Augmented Reality plus interaction; blending the user’s real-world
with digitally-created content, where both environments coexist and interact with each other.

Fig. 6: VR, Sabre.com, 2017

In China, tour operator Zanadu have become the world’s first VR travel concept store,
using VR tours and e-catalogues that are integrated with mobile e-commerce and social
media for a ‘Try Before You Buy’ travel experience, whilst a similar feature is being
trialled by European tour operator Thomas Cook (O’Neill, 2017).
19
 With our computing power being doubled every two years, as explained by Moore’s
law (Moore, 1965), traditional experience providers may need to be vigilant to Digital
Realities’ developments insofar as they become sufficiently compelling to not just
complement, but replace the travel experience altogether (Huang et al, 2015). However,
despite optimistic adoption predictions, Digital Realities are both expensive from a
hardware point of view and complex technologically (Evans, 2017). Therefore, the
question of accessibility to the expertise and financial resources necessary to develop
and exploit their potential must be considered. It is highly likely that smaller travel firms
may struggle to compete if the necessary resources are accessible only to the world’s
most powerful companies (Evans, 2017).

2 . 3. 3 A RTI FI CI A L I NTELL IGENCE & GREATER PERSONALISAT IO N

Artificial Intelligence automates computer processes to understand and mimic the
human brain; its applications involve both natural language processing and machine
learning (Eggleton, 2017). This is significant for tourism as many established operators
typically possess large amounts of passenger data that AI is well suited to interpret
(Ayers, 2016). If applied successfully in tourism, this may enable the creation of hyper-
personalised services (Eggleton, 2017).
AI is already being incorporated into innovative technologies such as robotics
applications, autonomous cars, and drones (Mori, 2016), yet its influence may extend to
a number of other areas of the travel experience (Ayers, 2016):
Faster and Easier Customer Services: such as that already developed by Expedia, or
smart bookings such as those used by SnapTravel and 30 Seconds to Fly.
Learning Unique Preferences: Virtual Assistants make smart assumptions and use that
information to make bookings that meet expectations quickly and conveniently.
Convenient Transportation: monitoring different sorts of traffic and reducing congestion
residents and visitors alike.
Robotic Concierges: IBM’s Watson allows hotels to provide virtual concierges, such as
Hilton’s Connie, to further personalise their guest’s experiences.
Big Data Insights: giving service providers the ability to create greater personalisation
and unique differentiation for tourists, real-time travel assistance and the ability to meet
future needs.
AI’s disruptive potential may be particularly advantageous as a general trend for
personalisation develops in tourism (Ali, 2017). According to recent research in the
United Kingdom and the USA conducted by AgileOne, 70% of respondents said they
now expect a high degree of personalisation through customised products, content,
communication methods, and services. Further, the key to that personalisation is the
ability to collect and use data on customers (as cited in Zbik, 2017). However, it is highly
likely that the resources required to exploit AI will be accessible only to the world’s most
valuable companies, therefore raising the possibility of an even larger chasm developing
between the SMEs and the established travel players (Evans, 2017).

2. 3. 4 I NS I G HTS
With many layers to the tourism industry in Thailand, the above is not exhaustive,
rather an indication of the diversity of influences the Activities sector may encounter. A
commonality is that traditional distribution channels, and SMEs in particular, may face
competitive challenges from those companies with the resources able to exploit new
technologies, new sectors, and shifting habits.
On the one hand, a growing sharing economy offers the possibility of deeper human
20
 connection, however, a pressing challenge for experience providers in Thailand may be
to identify new ways to deliver greater humanity in travel if sharing economy practises
remain illegal in the country. On the other hand, the emergence of Digital Realities may
create a future where real life connections have the potential to be rendered obsolete.
The rise of Artificial Intelligence and use of Big Data within travel illustrate the growing
preference for personalisation, a feature the industry has been particularly aware
of at the top end of the market. This may lead to further decline in the demand for
standardised products when it is applied to the mainstream.
It is therefore possible that smaller tourism providers may have a future in which
they are no longer competing solely with other traditional suppliers in the same
segmentation, rather with the purveyors of new personalised or digital realities
experiences. To that extent, an ability to detect and adapt to shifting trends proactively
will likely be advantageous.

2 .4 THE THAI START U P ECOSYST E M

2 . 4. 1 UND E R STA ND ING THE STARTUP APPROAC H
‘A startup is the largest group of people you can convince of a plan to build a different
future.’ (Thiel, 2014, p.10)
The startup approach may be said to be a distinctly democratic ‘idea’ as it pools
resources from a multitude of disciplines to find a breakthrough idea that is aimed at
delivering new customer value (Ries, 2011). To make a distinction, a startup is not:
‘An exact clone of an existing business, from business model, pricing, target consumer,
and product should not be conflated with a startup because its ambition and likelihood of
success is solely dependent on execution and not on innovation.’ (Ries, 2011, p28-29)
Therefore, it may be said that innovation belongs at the heart of every startup. Professor
Christensen suggests that the startup model’s success is the freedom from corporate
restraint to ask different questions of its customers than its incumbent competitors can,
which then allows startups to identify opportunities in line with shifting customer needs
(Christensen, 2016).

Fig. 7:
Startup Ecosystem
startupcommons.org, no date

21
 To encourage greater startup activity, many localised networks aimed at developing
startups have evolved, known as ‘Startup Ecosystems’; a typical ecosystem is formed of
startups in their various stages of growth, a variety of support organisations, and people
with specific expertise who interact to promote and sustain startup life, shown in Fig. 7.
A prominent example of an ecosystem is Silicon Valley, known to possess a set of unique
identifying characteristics that allow the various parties within its ecosystem to interact
and support one another (Haines, 2014). However, Silicon Valley’s exceptional rate
of success contrasts with large global variance within other ecosystems; sometimes
metropolitan areas within the same country exhibit large disparities in their ability to
create and sustain startup growth (Motoyama and Watkins, 2014). It can be shown that
almost all ecosystems are adapted for localisation (Malecki 1994), which may partially
explain causality behind each ecosystem’s marked variance (Motoyama and Watkins,
2014). It has been suggested that Silicon Valley is not just a model, but a mindset for
innovation, yet within the startup communities of less developed countries, there is
increasing evidence to show that a clone approach to innovation has limited success
(Haines, 2014).
Author and entrepreneur Ressi has identified two distinct trends in the evolution of
startup ecosystems in developing countries (Ressi, 2017).
1. The best results are driven from the bottom up approach, with grassroots efforts being led by
local startup founders.
2. Many developing countries have government funded innovation centres, where investment
and expertise are delivered from the top down. Rarely does this give rise to lasting companies.

2. 4. 2 CONTE XTUA LI SING THAILAND’S STARTUP ECOSYSTEM

Thailand’s first startup meeting was convened in 2011 and attended by a handful of
people interested in sharing ideas about disrupting longstanding incumbents (Balea,
2016). Fig. 8 shows that in 2011 startups in Thailand received approximately USD1
million in private investment; by 2016, investment had grown to over USD 108 million
and the size of the startup community had grown 100 times its original size (Techsauce,
2016). Further, the Thai government now assists its startup community with yearly
capital injections of USD 570 to encourage young tech firms to grow Thailand’s digital
economy (Balea, 2016). Thailand even has a National Innovation Agency (Lee, 2017). The
median value of funding deals in Thailand’s startup ecosystem will have increased from
roughly USD 60,000 in 2012 to USD 1.1 million in 2017.

Fig. 8: Thailand Disclosed Startup Funding, NIA.co.th, 2016

22
 Governmental investment in the Thai startup ecosystem is enhanced by tax exemptions
for venture capital firms, co-working spaces, and for startups themselves (Balea,
2016). However, startup ecosystems benefit from many different key inputs, not least
a wide availability of private financing, which is a significant source of startup funding
worldwide (Polapat Ark, 2017).
In order to interpret the relative strengths and weaknesses of Thailand’s ecosystem, Fig.
9 illustrates how Thailand fares relative to other countries. For the purposes of a worthy
comparison, the United States as a mature western ecosystem, coupled with two other
Asian ecosystems, China and Singapore, are examined.

STARTUP USA CHINA SINGAPORE THAILAND

ECOSYSTEMS
No. of Startups in ~140,000 ~145,000 ~2000 ~600
2016
Startup Density per 1 per 2,300 1 per 9,500 1 per 2,800 1 per
Capita 113,000

Venture Capital (VC) ~800 ~1000 ~50 ~12

Funds
2016 VC USD $69,100 MM $32,000 MM $3,500 MM $86 MM

2016 VC per Capita $212 $23 $625 $1.3

No. of Accelerators 200 1,600 52 7

Startups per 700:1 90:1 38:1 86:1

Accelerator
2016 No. of Exits 3,358 221 15 2

Exits as % of Startups 2.4% 0.2% 0.8% 0.3%

Fig. 9: Polapat Ark, e-27.com, 2017

It may be inferred through data comparison above that the Thai startup ecosystem is
underperforming relative to its neighbours, even allowing for population adjustment.
Whilst superficially the requisite infrastructure may be in place, the figures point to a
deeper, structural imbalance that merits further exploration.

2. 4. 3 I DE NTI FY I NG THE CHALL ENGES

Thailand has a vibrant entrepreneurial community, largely built around ‘Necessity
Entrepreneurship’ (Charoenrat, 2014), entrepreneurs in developing countries who start
small enterprises out of basic need and limited access to stable employment (Brewer &
Gibson, 2014). Despite this instinct, closing the innovation gap between an agricultural
economy and a knowledge based economy by government implemented innovation
policy alone is gaining relatively little traction (Bisonyabut and Kamsaeng, 2015), for
reasons Intarakumnerd attributes to:
23
 ‘Deep-rooted weakness and fragmentation of Thailand’s innovation system and a lack of a
clear and shared vision of policies; a lack of supporting institutions such as Shumpeterian
entrepreneurship and trust; and, most importantly, path dependency and inertia in
the policy formulation process due to the problem of being locked into old paradigms.’
(Intarakumnerd, 2015).
Consequently, this results in a low number of willing risk takers, a lack of Venture Capital
funding, few Incubators and Accelerators and limited opportunities for Exit within the
Thai startup ecosystem (Polapat Ark, 2017). Further, this may explain why research
reflects a distinct lack of awareness of recent innovation paradigms in Thailand.

2 . 4. 4 THE POS S I BLE CAUSES

Education
Only 12 per cent of Thailand’s population is university educated, compared to 30-45
percent for both China and Singapore. Further, universities prioritise the business
schools and medicine over R&D and it is therefore difficult to penetrate the academic
curriculum, stunting the aspiration to innovate (Intarakumnerd, 2015).
Research and Development
Thailand spends only half a percent of its GDP on R&D compared to 2-4 per cent spent by
China and Singapore (Bisonyabut and Kamsaeng, 2015).
Regulatory Environment
Thailand’s regulatory environment and innovation initiatives are misaligned, causing
bottlenecks that encourage foreign innovations, rather than indigenous efforts (Polapat
Ark, 2017) .

2 . 4. 5 THE I M PACT OF NATIONAL CULTURE

It is well documented that strategic behaviour differs across cultures (Scheneider, 1991).
The most widely accepted definition of national culture is that of Kluckhorn:
‘Culture consists in patterned ways of thinking, feeling, and reacting, acquired and
transmitted mainly by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human
groups, including their embodiment in artefacts; the essential core of culture consists of
traditional ideas and especially their attached values.’
(Kluckhorn, as cited in Engelen et al, 2014)
Thailand is a latecomer in trying to adopt and implement a system of innovation,
yet this does not fully explain why it has been less successful in terms of catching up
with innovative forerunners (Engelen, 2015; Intarakumnerd and Chaminadeb, 2011).
Therefore, examining national culture’s effect on corporate culture may help identify
patterns of shared values and beliefs that inform organisational function (Schein 1983).
Hofstede suggests that cultures can be analysed in terms of six cultural dimensions,
along which each national culture is given a fixed indexing (Fang, 2009). Hofstede’s
cultural dimensions for Thailand reveal the following (Hofstede, 2016; Buriyameathagul,
2013):
Power Distance Dimension:
Thailand is a society in which inequalities are accepted; a strict chain of command and
protocol exists between bosses and employees. Attitudes towards managers are more
formal, and information flows are hierarchical and controlled.
Individualism vs Collectivism:
Thai society constructs its reality based on social interests rather than individual
interests, characterised in Thailand by non-confrontation, with offence taking leading to
loss of face and shame.
24
 Uncertainty Avoidance:
Thailand exhibits high levels of uncertainty avoidance. This leads to risk aversion and
resistance to change, with short-term and less strategic planning.
Masculinity vs Femininity:
Thailand has the lowest masculinity ranking among Asian societies, potentially
suggesting a society that has less competitiveness and assertiveness.
Long Term Orientation:
Thais exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small inclination to save for the
future, and a focus on achieving quick results.
Indulgence vs Restraint:
A preference on this dimension cannot be determined for Thailand.
Supporting a finding of ‘High Uncertainty Avoidance’ in Thailand, Fukyuma’s research
reveals a ‘Low Trust Society’. Fig. 10 shows that when people act outside of the home
environment, registering amongst the lowest trust in foreigners, those of different
religions, and strangers anywhere in the world (Ward et al, 2014), which may be
problematic for Thai tourism innovation efforts if the trend for greater humanity in travel
has been correctly predicted.

Fig. 10: Interpersonal Trust in Asia, Ward et al, 2014

However, an often overlooked component of Thai national culture’s potential effect on

business culture is that it places great emphasis on both fate and luck as determiners
of progress. This is often demonstrated by extreme deference towards spirits, ghosts,
and ancestors, whose control over destiny is perceived as more influential than strategic
planning (Buriyameathagul, 2017).
These findings likely go some way to suggesting that entrepreneurial phenomena have
been influenced by national cultural characteristics in Thailand (Engelen et al, 2015) and
may therefore provide partial explanation as to why more recent innovation paradigms
in Thai business settings have so far not succeeded (Hayton et al, 2002).

2 . 4. 6 I NS I G HTS
The startup scene in Thailand’s unique characteristics have been influenced by
a confluence of factors; understanding these help contextualise the challenges
TakeMeTour have faced as they have grown. If a startup is a vision of the future, it is
probable that the relationship an individual, or even a collective, has with the past will
influence the lens through which that future is envisioned.
Thailand faces both structural and cultural challenges as it tries to shift from an
agricultural economy to a knowledge based one; its progress is inhibited by structural
factors, such as under investment in Research and Development, but also by a culture
that places the status quo as the imperative, exhibits strong risk aversion and high
uncertainty avoidance. Research also suggests that greater efforts must be made at
25
 a grassroots level to encourage more startup activity through appropriate venture
capital funding and mentorship as it is not sufficient for the government to simply keep
directing funds at innovation efforts in a top down manner.
Whilst it is well known that many Asian societies have steep power distance gradients,
Thailand registers particularly low trust of environments outside of the family. The
extent to which trust is both recognised and understood as integral to creating the right
set of circumstances for innovation should be explored in expert interviews.

26
 03.

Pitch Day at DTAC Accelerator

Photograph by Marc Morrell
VIEW
FR O M T H E
EXP ERT S
3.1 Interviews with Industry Experts
3.1.1 Meet the Experts
3.2 A Perspective on the Future of Travel
3.3 The Impact of Culture
3.4 Understanding Innovation
3.5 The Role of Trust
3.6 New Insights
3.7 Conclusions

3.1 INTERV IEWS W IT H IN DU ST RY E X PE RT S

Having consulted the literature, understanding if the findings intersect and apply in the
real world becomes the next stage of research. Industry Experts were interviewed for
deeper insight into the following emerging themes:
Cultural dimensions appear to have had a distinct influence on Thailand’s innovative
orientation, but to what extent are modern innovation paradigms understood and applied
in Thailand?
Are tourism providers concerned about emerging tourism trends and do they see a role for
Digital Realities, or do they believe that changes in the industry will be around finding ways
of creating greater humanity?
Thailand’s startup ecosystem appears to have many structural and cultural problems, but
how and where are these problems experienced by the people who operate within it?
Through open-ended, semi structured interviews exploring answers to the above
questions, it was also possible to elicit new insights, behaviours, and motives to begin
the formation of theory.

3 . 1. 1 M E E T THE E XPERTS

G A R E TH
LY M E R
Innovation Expert. Gareth’s innovation experience
across multiple industries and cultures is valuable
for gaining insights and validating ideas about
approaching innovation in different cultures.

28
 MIKE
RYA N
Futurist. Mike’s expertise in predicting how the
world is likely to change and how companies can
adapt is particularly helpful for a non-partisan view
of travel’s emerging trends.

R I CHA R D
J ONES
CEO Appsmaker Store. Originally from the UK, now
based in Singapore, Richard has helped multiple
Asian travel startups launch platforms throughout
the region.

PHI LI P
M OR R E LL
CEO VJV. Philip has founded several travel
companies since the 1970s that have redefined the
travel experience, which is helpful for understanding
historical travel behaviours and values.

JUN
I S HI K AWA
CEO Tabika. Jun’s experience of the Activities
market in Japan allows an appreciation of the
wider challenges associated with this particular
segmentation in Asia, particularly as Tabika are
currently expanding in to Thailand.

AMARIT
CHA R OE NPHA N
CEO Hubba and TechSauce. Amongst the most
influential of Thailand’s startup founders, Amarit is
the ‘go-to’ man for a broad perspective on the Thai
startup ecosystem.

29
 B OOM
S UPAWAT

CEO MeRooms. Founder of a sharing economy

startup for Nomads in Thailand.

FA R
LE E ATHI WAT
CEO Tourkrub. TourKrub aims to address the
complexities of outbound travel from Thailand and
Far has a unique perspective as a startup addressing
Thailand’s internal market.

3.2 A P ERSP ECT IV E ON T H E F U T U RE OF T RAV E L

Two distinct trends were uncovered in the literature review about the future direction
of the experiences market in travel— one with deeper human connections, and another
where technology enhances, or even replaces them.
Mike Ryan believes that the advance of Digital Realties will eventually replace
mainstream tourism. In doing so, real life experiences will move towards a niche offering,
making the providers of those experiences the most ‘in demand’ sector (interview Mike
Ryan).
Conversely, Gareth Lymer suggests the impact of technology will increase, but only to
enable better planning of tourism experiences that allow us to escape our technology.
Although not directly involved in tourism, Gareth’s innovation experience has shown
a tendency towards “losing ourselves in a new technology” for a period of time, before an
equilibrium is found of where it correctly fits in people’s lives. To that extent, hardwired
human behaviours, such as a desire for human connections, will always be reverted
back to (interview Gareth Lymer). However, both interviewees agree that personalisation
in travel will continue to increase, with the current top end of the market being an
indication of where democratisation into the mainstream will lead. This is persuasive
because it aligns with wider consumption habits already moving towards greater
personalisation (Zbik, 2017).
The CEO of TourKrub reveals an alternative interpretation from within the industry
in Thailand. His work shows tourism becoming more segmented, therefore the trend
is towards greater choice of destinations and variety of activities to cater for the
seasonality of travel. Indeed, when the question of travel’s potential Digital Realties
future was posed, the perception at TourKrub is that people will always want to
physically travel as it allows them “to improve themselves and learn new things”;
digital simply helps people get the right experience in the cheapest and fastest ways
(interview with Far). Both Far and Gareth identified the value of seeing a famous picture
in person, stating the experience of standing in front of and feeling the impact of great
artwork in real life as being irreplaceable (interviews with Far and Gareth).

30
 3.3 THE IMPACT OF C U LT U RE
According to Englen et al’s study on entrepreneurial orientation in Thailand, cultural
dimensions have influenced the development of Thailand’s innovative capabilities.
Amarit Charoenphan has found that traits such as risk aversion and lack of trust are
deeply ingrained in Thai culture, even leading to a mistrust of indigenous brands,
preferring instead to favour those established and proven abroad. He suggests that
in Thailand:
“There is no culture of accepting and embracing failure and ‘have another go’; a culture of
constantly learning and improving. Openness to new ideas, innovation — it’s all still in
the works here; it’s still hierarchical, old school and slow to adapt” (interview with Amarit)
Founder of MeRooms echoes this sentiment and consequently concludes that for his
startup to succeed he cannot address Thailand’s internal market as he is unsure if it can
adapt and mature:
“The best hope is inbound tourism, collaboration with the established players or thinking
ahead about what people are coming to Bangkok for, building it and exiting when the big
players come in.” (interview with Boom)
This appears to have created a vicious circle as whilst the travel tech space in Thailand
has potential, the opportunities it offers for innovation are not yet being reaped (WTCC.
org; Russell, 2016). According to Richard Jones, much of what is currently generated
involves cloning established ideas, citing Grab Taxis in Thailand as a direct response to
Uber. Further, Richard’s work with companies in Asia generally reveals a widespread
cultural fear of failure that demands new concepts be proven elsewhere first (interview
with Richard Jones). The founder of Tabika, who operate in the same Activities
segmentation as TakeMeTour in Japan, has observed a similar reluctance to try new
things in his own country, citing a fear of making mistakes. These insights complement
the findings of Thailand’s low trust society status and its high uncertainty avoidance
(Ward et al, 2014; Hofstede, 2016). However, this cultural aspect alone is not entirely
responsible for Thailand’s innovative orientation, as Japan, whilst exhibiting many
similar cultural characteristics to Thailand, continues to remain at the vanguard of
technological progress (Ready, 2015).
A compelling explanation of this divergence in Thailand was identified as beginning
in the education system, which is slow to adapt and discourages critical thinking
(Intarakumnerd, 2015). In practical terms, educational rote learning hampers innovation
efforts as people become accustomed to being told what to do, thereby creating a dearth
of ‘free thinkers’ (interview with Amarit).

3.4 UND ERSTAN DING IN N OVAT ION

A recurring theme amongst Thai leaders for the country’s lack of innovative prowess was
because ‘subjects such as coding’ are not taught in schools. Further, when asked about
techniques for detecting future tourism innovation opportunities responses were a
reliance exclusively on data (Interviews with Far and Boom):
“We can also see patterns of tours being purchased today versus last year, we can track
habits. Customer behaviour tracking; I can track everyone coming to our website.”
Indeed, all Thai founders interviewed suggested future innovation efforts would be
directed by exponential growth of data, customer research, and even focus groups.
Little awareness of Christensen’s empathy based Jobs Theory or the cultivation of an
internally innovative culture were referenced. Richard Jones’s knowledge of Asia as a
region confirms data as the tool primarily used to detect innovation opportunities.
When asked about an understanding of empathy, one interviewee responded “I
31
 know the word empathy in English, but don’t know how important it is”. It should be
emphasised that this does not mean that these faculties do not exist, rather awareness
of them as tools for innovation may be lacking as whilst insights can come from data,
western based innovation suggests they are as likely to come from talking to people
(interview with Gareth Lymer).
There is growing evidence of a strong contrast between the Western and Thai
approaches to innovation, which in Europe have increasingly become about removing
the barriers between people in terms of hierarchy, emotion, and structural norms
(Weintreib and Rau, 2013). To that extent, the culture of a society has been practically
shown to directly impact the type of innovation a country is suited to (interview
with Gareth Lymer). In Thailand’s case it is also helpful to understand that digital
transformation may actually work against its agricultural economic model and
traditional distribution channels because new thinking is threatening thinking (interview
with Mike Ryan).

3.5 THE ROL E OF T RU ST

Taking a historical perspective on travel innovation, there has always been a tendency
to create imitation products that compete only on price because new ideas are difficult
to protect against imitation, according to Philip Morrell. As a consequence, travel has to
create its differentiation through optimising trust in the brand:
“When you’re buying a travel package, you don’t buy tangibles. Trust is key. The name and
longstanding reputation is critical to establishing trust. Therefore travel startup and trust
are almost contradictory.” (Interview with Philip Morrell)
This is significant as the role of trust in a society translates into the ability of many
different stakeholders to interact and cooperate successfully (Diekhöner, 2017); to that
extent, only one interviewee, who is not from Thailand, revealed awareness of trust’s
importance to the travel experience, citing AirBnB’s intermediary model as making the
‘unthinkable acceptable’ (Interview with Jun).
Therefore, as a basic unit of exchange within tourism, as well as a requirement of a
culture that embraces failures, the role that trust plays is increasingly being shown to be
critical, contrasted by a developing theme of lack of trust within Thai business settings
(interview with Gareth; Ward et al, 2014).
Those who are aware of the work that needs to be done to in Thailand express concern
that the country will be unable to reap the opportunities that tourism represents,
suggesting that hindering cultural aspects must be identified and addressed in new ways
(interview with Amarit):
“We need to support local innovation, create a culture and movement to support Thai
founders and not only in Thailand.” (interview with Amarit)

3.6 NEW INSIG HT S

Several unforeseen causality dilemmas are also at play. For example, there has not been
a visible startup success in the form of a Unicorn in Thailand (Russell, 2016). Were this to
happen, it was suggested that more innovative activity might be encouraged (interview
with Amarit). However, Thailand’s investors are not persuaded their internal market is
ready for the products and services the startup community want to deliver and so private
funding is scarce (interview with Amarit). A culture of risk aversion extends even to Thai
investors for whom it would be difficult to comprehend short term financial loss, for long
term profitability (Interview with Amarit).
Cultural issues also emerge at a corporate interpersonal level in Thailand, where
32 behaviour can be ‘dramatic and easily agitated’, with passive aggressiveness leading to a
 breakdown of effective communication, likely due frustration at an inablity to challenge
authority (Hofstede, 2016; interview with Boom).
“I have to show my staff my commitment so that hopefully they will reciprocate. I don’t
always feel like I can rely on my staff, so it appears I’m micro-managing.” (interview with
Boom)
Conversely, issues surrounding regulatory obstacles appear to be less of a concern;
it is widely perceived that even if bans are enforced on sharing economy practises
(Guttentag, 2013) the government often displays a ‘turn a blind eye’ attitude to enforcing
it and that there is always a way around regulations (Boom and Amarit interviews).
To some extent, this may indicate a certain level of risk at which operators in Thailand
are comfortable.
Finally, income inequality in Thailand renders the internal market small and therefore
only able to capture the relatively few middle to high income earners in the country,
supporting a growing theme that Thailand’s best tourism innovation hope may be to
address its inbound market (Interview with Boom).

3.7 CONCLUSIO N S
It is apparent that many barriers to innovation exist in Thailand and that these issues
are interconnected and deeply culturally entrenched. From only a small selection of
interviewees the data is insufficient from which to draw precise theory. However,
there are points of overlap between the insights from the literature review and the
experts’ perspectives that help answer the central questions of this research project:
1. In light of digital realties complexities and expense (Evans, 2017), as well as
seemingly minimal tourism industry concern about its impact, the argument that
travel’s future is increasingly about creating greater human connection is persuasive
because it is highly likely that connecting with other humans is ‘a hard wired
human trait to which we will always revert back’ (Gareth Lymer). This also aligns
with MacCannell’s observation from 1973 about a tourist’s desire to experience
authenticity, with little evidence to suggest that habit changing since it was
observed 50 years ago (MacCannell, 1973).
2. The role of corporate culture in innovation in Thailand is emerging as more
important than the literature review suggests, as highlighted by experience of
dysfunctional interpersonal relationships at work (Amarit & Boom). This is arguably
explained by Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, particularly across the Power/Distance
relationship and the Uncertainty Avoidance dimensions, and is supported by Englen
et al’s work suggesting that entrepreneurial orientation in Thailand is influenced
by national cultural characteristics (Englen et al, 2015).
3. Whilst there is awareness of differences in innovative capabilities between Thailand
and Western countries, interviews revealed very little understanding of modern pillars
of innovation; those experts consulted outside of Thailand support the literature
review’s findings of empathy and trust as units of value in innovation (Interviews with
Gareth Lymer and Richard Jones; Diekhöner, 2017). However, awareness of these in
Thailand appear to be limited. According to Hayton et al, previous western innovation
paradigms have not succeeded in Thailand, which may suggest an alternative
approach involving localisation could be helpful for future efforts (Hayton et al, 2002).

33
 04.

Floatel in Kanchanaburi
Photograph by Marc Morrell
A LOO K
AT A N
INN OVAT I V E
T RAVEL COM PANY
4.1 Why AirBnB is innovative
4.2 How AirBnB Innovate
4.3 Translating values into Actions
4.4 Insights

Following the insights from both the literature review and expert interviews, the role
of culture in Thai startup settings is emerging as far more important to Thailand’s
innovative orientation than first anticipated. Before introducing TakeMeTour, it is helpful
to look outside of the Thai startup ecosystem to a strongly culture-led, innovative
tourism company and gather insights that may be transferred to TakeMeTour. The
purpose of this is not to clone, rather to inform and complement this project’s ability to
help TakeMeTour’s innovative ability.
AirBnB is amongst the world’s most recognisable travel brands, credited with having
disrupted the accommodation vertical of travel (Gallagher, 2017; Varma et al, 2016).
Further, AirBnB have recently enhanced their host/guest relationship through a newly
launched Activities service called ‘Trips’ in the Thai market, an almost identical product
to TakeMeTour’s (Ting, 2017).
This may be significant for TakeMeTour as if a trend of personalised, more intimate
human experiences has been correctly predicted, they now face direct competition from
a brand that has already established trust in a peer-to-peer market place and whose
reach extends to 191 countries globally (Ting, 2017; atairbnb.com, 2016). Therefore, it is
useful to identify the ways in which AirBnB have developed the innovative capabilities to
continually deliver the value that has allowed them to grow their brand.

4.1 WHY AIRB NB IS INN OVAT IV E

According to Varma et al, AirBnB’s rapid growth can be attributed to having identified
a globally pervasive problem in the accommodation sector, with the deployment of
innovative web-based processes to facilitate continuous innovation that allows its
customers to act entrepreneurially in a peer-to-peer environment (Varma et al, 2016).
Therefore, it is arguable that AirBnB have met the innovative test on two counts: using
technology as an innovation enabler and facilitating human progress (Diekhöner, 2017,
Christensen, 2016). Notwithstanding previously mentioned regulatory issues in Thailand
with the sharing economy (Guttentag, 2013), it has been said that Airbnb has disrupted
the way the industry operates to the extent that it is unlikely that the tourism industry
can revert back to its old model (Varma et al, 2016). Further, according to Joe Zadeh,
the Vice President of ‘Trips’ at AirBnB, AirBnB now intend to use their established brand
awareness to expand into, and innovate within every travel vertical (Kennedy, 2017).

4.2 HOW AIRB N B INN OVAT E

The founders of AirBnB began the company through identifying a solution to a problem
they had experienced in their own lives (Gallagher, 2017). Through an understanding
35 of the difficulty hosts had previously faced in advertising their spare rooms, combined
 with the struggle of establishing the needed trust between hosts and guests, AirBnB
cultivated a human-centred response to a longstanding problem in tourism (Guttentag,
2013). Whilst it is undoubtedly true that AirBnB continue to harness the power of
technology and invest in the processes and resources to support it, according to the
founders, key to AirBnB’s continuing innovative success is having a clearly defined
mission (Chesky, 2014). Further, by living a set of values that support that mission,
AirBnB have been able to build a culture of trust and openness amongst employees
that is conducive to all departments and talents identifying and creating deeply human
responses to travel ‘problems’ (Clune, 2017). The mission of ‘Belong Anywhere’ (Fig. 11)
and the values that support it are published on AirBnB’s website (airbnb.com, no date):
‘No global movement springs from individuals. It takes an entire team united
behindsomething big. Together, we work hard, we laugh a lot, we brainstorm nonstop, we
use hundreds of Post-Its a week, and we give the best high-fives in town.’
Be a Host
Care for others and make them feel like they belong. Encourage others to participate to their
fullest. Listen, communicate openly and set clear expectations.
Champion the Mission
Prioritise work that advances the mission and positively impacts the community. Build with the
long-term in mind. Actively participate in the community and culture.
Be a Cereal Entrepreneur
Be bold and apply original thinking. Imagine the ideal outcome. Be resourceful to make the
outcome a reality.
Embrace the Adventure
Be curious, ask for help, and demonstrate an ability to grow. Own and learn from mistakes.
Bring joy and optimism to work.

Fig. 11: ‘Belong Anywhere’, AirBnB.com, no date

36
 4.3 TRANSLATIN G VALU ES IN TO ACT IONS
Mark Levy, AirBnb’s head of Employee Experience states that these values belong in the
‘hearts and minds’ of employees, rather than on the walls (Levy, as cited in Clune, 2017).
To that extent, to bring these values to life, AirBnB culture is brought to life through:

ELE PHA NTS , DE A D FISH AND VOMIT

AirBnB’s culture is underpinned by a belief in honest, two-way communication (Clune,
2017). Born out of the results of a Culture Amp survey, the company realised it needed
to create and enable a two-way dialogue to better promote the sharing of ideas.
Founder Joe Gebbia’s idea was to use the metaphorical Elephants, Dead Fish and Vomit
to open up dialogue. Elephants describe the big things that people are reluctant to
discuss, Dead Fish refer to unresolved issues, and Vomit are those things that employees
need to get off their chest (Clune, 2017).

GR OUND CONTR OL
Referred to by Mark Levy as the company’s secret sauce, ‘Ground Control’ aims to bring
AirBnB’s global travel mindset and mission to life by creating the internal ‘belonging’
that enables employees to form a group that can stay together as they progress through
their careers (Clune, 2017). This team is dedicated to looking after the workplace
environment, internal communications, employee recognition, celebration and events.

O NE A I R BNB
AirBnB hold regular global employee conferences to break-down barriers and encourage
integration of their community. The conferences not only focus on the company’s future,
but their people and development, as well as exploring ways in which they might better
work together (Clune, 2017).

4.4 INSIG HTS

It is apparent that AirBnB’s innovative capabilities are linked to a culture that promotes
experimentation, flexibility, and radical new ideas. Further, that culture is effective
because it has been defined by the founders of the business and is predicated on
practising internally what they want to achieve externally.
Little distinction is made in literature between AirBnB’s processes and its culture, which
supports Tellis et al and Weintraub and Rau’s findings from the literature review of
corporate culture’s importance as a driver of radical innovation. Further, as Weintraub
and Rau assert, of the 6 blocks of innovative culture, arguably AirBnB have prioritised
the less quantifiable blocks of values, behaviours, and climate, which have facilitated the
creation of a company that has innovation at its core.
Central themes of trust, empathy, two-way communication, and a well defined
mission emerge as hallmarks of a company whose stated ambition is to redefine every
layer of the travel experience.

37
 05.

My first day at TakeMeTour

Photograph by Marc Morrell
INTR O D U C I N G
TAK EM E TOU R
5.1 Who are TakeMeTour?
5.2 The Perspective of the Founders
5.3 The Future for TakeMeTour
5.4 The Competition
5.5 My Perspective
5.6 Defining the Challenge

NOPPON
& TA R O
TAK E M E TOU R ’S
FOU N DE RS

5.1 WHO ARE TA K E M E TOU R?

Founded in 2012 by Taro Amornched, a former Google software engineer and Noppon
Anukunwithaya, an industrial engineer with Ajinomoto, TakeMeTour began life as a
startup aiming to connect Thai travellers with Thai students living abroad who could
then act as tour guides. As a niche business this initially performed well, but with little
scope for scalability, the product was reversed in 2012 to address inbound tourism to
Thailand instead. TakeMeTour has created an online marketplace through which locals
can suggest a tour itinerary, upload it to TakeMeTour’s website and invite guests to
experience Thailand ‘through the eyes of a local’ (www.takemetour.com).
TakeMeTour has benefitted from a number of Thailand’s startup ecosystem facilities,
including venture capital from 500 TukTuks (Thailand’s largest VC for startups),
mentorship through the DTAC Accelerate programme and a cash investment from Thai
billionaire Ittipat Peeradechapan. These influences have helped TakeMeTour become
Thailand’s largest single marketplace for one day tours (www.takemetour.com). To date,
they have over 10,000 registered Local Experts (guides) and cover 55 cities in Thailand.
With a team of 10, they’re led by the founders, a CTO with two developers, as well as a
customer support and experience design team.
According to the founders, the philosophy behind conducting tours in this way is
39 explained by the following (interview with Noppon):
 • ‘To connect the global with the local’
• ‘Distribute the engagement and profits of tourism’
• ‘Elevate the travel experience’
However, the company has reached a point in their growth where their ambitions to
scale are affected by a number of previously identified factors. In order to gain a better
understanding of the company’s perception of itself and its vision for the future, I
conducted a interviews with the CEOs, synthesised below.

5.2 THE P ERSP ECT IV E OF T H E FOU NDE RS

TakeMeTour has enjoyed exponential growth since its inception, this year alone carrying
ten times more people than the previous year. This has been attributed to strong data-
led improvements to the platform, and a deep focus on SEO and online advertising.
They operate in promising territory as their value proposition aligns with the Thai
government’s strategy of ‘distribution of tourism’, placing an emphasis on helping
second tier cities to develop outside of traditional tourism destinations in Thailand
(interview with Noppon).
However, the regulatory environment surrounding these experiences remains
ambiguous and although the company is trying to work with the government to change
the licensing structure for guides, progress remains slow. Further obstacles arise more
generally when trying to bring new tourism products to new destinations in Thailand as
it requires costly research that once developed is easily copiable as no regulation exists
to protect Intellectual Property. This in turn leads to agencies being reluctant to create
new tourism products or services (interview with Noppon).
To address this would require better education and governance in Thailand and co-
operation by the authorities to change regulation by traditional law, which officials
are reluctant to consider out of systemic protectionism. However, citing a speech by
Joe Gebbia, one of the founders of AirBnB, TakeMeTour subscribe to the belief that
the sharing economy is irreversible, therefore meaning that regulatory authorities will
eventually adapt (interview with Noppon).
TakeMeTour believe part of the reason for slower progress in less developed countries,
such as Thailand, is that people are less adaptive generally and when it comes to change
they look for acceptance through following the crowd. Further, Thai culture is generally
reserved and shy, which indirectly affects how much traction a new product or idea can
gain through early adoption reluctance (interview with Taro).

5.3 THE FUTURE FOR TAK E M E TOU R

There is a perception that fragmentation of the market currently allows local players
to be strong, but brings with it a challenge of scaleability. Even with unlimited money,
it would still be difficult to expand out of Thailand because of differences in language
and cultures. Therefore, TakeMeTour identify partnerships as a potential way forward
(interview with Taro).
In relation to the future of tourism and where the company’s innovation capabilities
will come from, successful use of data is seen to be key to success. However, they also
acknowledge that this is often problematic for smaller travel companies who do not have
access to the data Google or Amadeus collect (interview with Taro).
With regard to the advance of nascent experience technologies that could potentially
compete with their core offering, TakeMeTour position is that it is uncertain how VR
is going to affect the travel industry, how it would be monetised or whether travellers
will even want to use it (interview with Noppon). Therefore, the emphasis appears to
40
 be on focussing attention and resources firmly on their market segmentation of real
life ‘experiences’. Consequently, the main growth emphasis for the company remains
funding to expand the company’s reach. However, in order to achieve that funding, the
market requires education and awareness that this new facility exists (interview with
Taro).

5.4 COM P ETITION

The activities market in which TakeMeTour operates is perceived as being historically
characterised by a reluctance to try new things, although this may be changing,
particularly in developed countries. Fortunately, in this regard they believe they have
been positively affected by AirBnB’s new ‘Trips’ offering, as it is perceived that AirBnB’s
brand influence can do some of the market education for them. In much the same way
as the collective tourism mentality has normalised going to a new city and searching
AirBnB for accommodation with a local, the ambition is now to educate the market to
arrive in a new city and browse experiences with locals too. Therefore, the competition
space with AirBnB is so far believed to be a beneficial one as their brand presence can
elevate the market TakeMeTour plays in (interview with Taro).

5.5 MY P ERSP ECT IV E

TakeMeTour has enjoyed success by creating new value within the Thai tourism
sector. However, that may now be challenged through the emergence of alternative,
established players with similar offerings in the Thai market. Whilst TakeMeTour may
not currently be concerned about the direct threat of AirBnB, they are positioned in a
competitive tourism segment where 30 percent of Activities and Experiences companies
globally generate less than $50,000 a year in revenue (Ting 2017). This is significant for
TakeMeTour as they are now competing with a company that has established trust in a
marketplace where intellectual property is easily replicated and who have the ability to
directly up-sell their ‘Trips’ to their ‘Homes’ audience.

VERTICAL OR
INTENSIVE PROGRESS
Doing New Things

HORIZONTAL OR
EXTENSIVE PROGRESS
Copying Things That Work
Fig. 12: Vertical Progress, Thiel, 2014

41
 Therefore, it is likely crucial that TakeMeTour have the tools to detect Fig. 12’s vertical
opportunities for progress to do new things as a point of differentiation if they are to
grow alongside one of the world’s most established brands (Thiel, 2014).
In terms of a company culture, I have observed features of a startup environment that
would be familiar to those associated with startup culture in a Western context, yet I
have also recognised some of the obstacles to managing staff highlighted in previous
chapters. For example, there is an open plan office where the founders and the team
all sit, flexible working hours, and occasional ‘breakout’ sessions to discuss projects.
However, there is little by way of a defined culture and promotion of dialogue between
and across hierarchies.
Through the literature review, expert interviews, and the perspective of the founders,
distinct patterns emerge about the future of travel and the necessary direction for the
company to direct its innovation efforts towards.
The purpose of this research project is to help TakeMeTour gain a competitive advantage
by being able to better detect opportunities for innovation specific to their tourism
segment and within their local context. In this regard, the following three company
insights are particularly helpful in leading towards the ultimate challenge statement:
• There is a strong bias towards tech and big data as the primary vehicle
for innovation.
• There is a need to form partnerships as part of their growth strategy.
• More established international sharing economy platforms are moving
in to their market space.

5.6 D EFINING TH E C H ALLE N G E

Certain insights from the research align with how TakeMeTour understand their context,
yet there are other areas in which they may benefit from a new perspective. Before
defining further it is helpful to establish a hierarchy to the findings (Underwood, 2015):
• Internal management’s view of the future issues is usually the least accurate.
• The data-mined view of the future based prior to interviewing the experts is
usually more accurate.
• The experts’ view of the future is usually the most accurate.
Applying this hierarchy reveals two core themes that help shape the ultimate challenge:
1. All travel firms are trust intermediaries, particularly those operating in the sharing
economy where the providers’ platforms allow trust to be realised as a unit of value
(Diekhöner, 2017). Further, it can be shown that trust is an important competitive
advantage in tourism (interview, Philip Morrell). Thailand is a low trust society, which
may be problematic for TakeMeTour’s long term prospects as growth and an ability to
compete are conditioned by the level of trust inherent in a society (Diekhöner, 2017).
Further, awareness of trust as a unit of value appeared to be low whilst interviewing
Thai experts, which could potentially be obstructive if attempting to form partnerships
to grow a business, or if an open innovation approach is to be adopted to encourage
the sharing of ideas with other companies (Chesbrough, 2003).
2. Research also shows that whilst efforts are made by startups in Thailand to harvest
big data and prioritise tech, there is little awareness that this reveals what it is people
are doing, not necessarily why. Dealing with customers only as data points may lead
to missing an opportunity to understand a problem and designing a solution through
42 detailed observation of people in the context in which they will be using a service
 (Hilton, 2016). In a deeply human pursuit such as travel, empathy aids innovation as
it allows businesses to uncover, create, and integrate around what it is a customer is
trying to get done through the understanding of behaviour (Christensen, 2016).
Given the intrinsic value of a travel company is trust, and that both trust and empathy
are necessary components of the innovation process, due to low awareness of both of
these in Thailand, the challenge for this project is defined as follows:

HOW M I G HT W E E NCOURAGE GREATER AWARENESS OF TR U ST

A ND E M PATHY AS UNITS OF VALUE SO THAT TAKEMETOUR CA N
BECOM E M OR E I NNOVATIVE AS IT GROWS?

43
 06.

Thong Pha Phum Reflections

Photograph by Marc Morrell
R ECOM M E N DAT I ONS
6.1 Designing a Response to the Challenge
6.2 Building a Culture of Trust & Empathy at TakeMeTour
6.2.1 Re-establish a Purpose
6.2.2 The Four Pillars of Trust & Empathy at TakeMeTour
6.3 Turning Trust & Empathy into Innovative Value
6.3.1 Maximise Value Through the Trust Model
6.3.2 Applying Empathy as a Tool for Innovation

6.1 D ESIG NING A RES PONS E TO T H E C H ALLE N G E

The following recommendations have been designed in response to the challenges
identified in my first two months at TakeMeTour. Hofstede shows that in Thailand it is
customary to build relationships before business is discussed (hofstede.org). To that
extent, the design and testing of these recommendations has coincided with the point
at which I observed sufficient progress had been made in my relationship with
TakeMeTour that both recommendations and feedback could be delivered in a
non-threatening manner.
At the beginning of the project I had expected the intervention to be extensively
focussed around strategies for tourism innovation. However, research has shown cultural
and behavioural factors in Thailand are equally important to influence if innovation
strategies are to be implemented successfully. For example, the strict chain of command
and steep power distance gradient is a well documented feature of Thai working
culture (Engelen et al, 2015). I had expected this to manifest in a highly focussed work
ethic, however, it appears instead to lead to dysfunctions in communication across all
organisational levels, resulting in the diminished productivity Thai experts
had highlighted.
It is important to acknowledge that previous implementation of western innovation
paradigms in Thailand have not always been successful. Therefore, both internal
recommendations for enhancing team culture, followed by localised strategic
recommendations to build upon that culture have been suggested. The philosophy
behind this is that for the strategic innovation measures to be congruent, they must
first be understood and practised between the people using them. There were two
stages to the introduction of these recommendations; the cultural recommendations
and practises were introduced through a presentation I delivered to the whole
team. A month later, I presented the founders with all my findings and strategic
recommendations, followed by a discussion about those findings.

6.2 B UILD ING A C U LT U RE OF E M PAT H Y & T R U ST

AT TAKEMETOU R
“Company culture doesn’t exist apart from the company itself; no company has a culture,
every company IS a culture.” (Thiel, 2014, p119)
6. 2. 1 R E ESTA B LI S H WHO WE ARE
Following a preliminary discussion with the founders, it was agreed that it would be
helpful to reassess the culture at TakeMeTour to improve working practises. I had
observed interpersonal relations and communications amongst the team were isolating
45 around job specifications. Further, it was arguable TakeMeTour was lacking a clearly
 defined purpose and the values to support it internally. It is important to emphasise that
I initiated, but did not lead this process so that the vision belonged to the founders.
Peter Thiel states that a founding moment only happens once and therefore it is only
at inception that there is the opportunity to set the rules that will align people toward
the creation of value in the future (Thiel, 2014). However, given the uncertainty at the
beginning of a startup’s life, revisiting the founding principles as the startup matures into
a viable business may be necessary (Ries, 2011). Therefore, as TakeMeTour grows and
new members join the team, it is critical to have a narrative that gives context, meaning,
and direction. This will establish a clear vision of what the company wants to achieve
and the culture it requires to support it.
In response to this challenge, a Culture Canvas (Fig. 13) was curated, because its purpose
is to help explore, model and describe a viable culture and to assess whether there is a
product-culture fit (Munoz, Delivering Happiness).

Fig. 13: Culture Canvas, Munoz, no date.

Through discussions, ideation, and several iterations, the identification of goals, roles,
and rules leading to 5 values that define TakeMeTour’s vision for travel emerged:
• Internationalist Mindset
• Sharing & Caring Culture
• Be a Pirate
• Being Better
• Sense of Ownership
Purpose and Impact: ‘To tell the stories of Thailand’.
Defining TakeMeTour’s internal culture in this way can be an asset as they are now
playing against other culture driven, high-performing travel companies, such as AirBnB
(Clune, 2017). It is intended that a similar approach can encourage the commitment
from TakeMeTour’s staff it will require for growth. These values are not static and must be
46
 reaffirmed as the company matures and I have implored the founders to continue to use
the Culture Canvas to do this.
With the interconnected values and purpose of TakeMeTour established, the next step is
the introduction of tools to promote open dialogue, understanding, and acceptance to
take the values from statements to practices.
6. 2. 2 THE FOUR PI LLARS OF TRUST & EMPATHY AT TAKEME TO UR
For TakeMeTour to be able to better accept risk in strategic decision making, it is
important to create awareness of Trust and Empathy as basic pillars of exchange
across hierarchies. This is so no ‘loss of face’ or confrontation arises from failure, thus
promoting an environment in which new ideas may be explored safely (Engelen et al,
2015).
Guidelines and activities from the Hyper Island Tool Kit have been ‘hacked’ for
localisation purposes that acknowledge that many of these principles are helpful for
Trust & Em pa t hy P i l l a rs
developing TakeMeTour’s culture, yet are likely counter-intuitive in Thailand. These have
been introduced gradually, and in some cases to support existing company activities
such as ‘Thank God It’s Friday’. It is anticipated that as these become embedded in
the culture, they may be enhanced or supplemented with other layers of team and
individual communication as colleagues grow more comfortable.

Trust & Em pa t hy P i l l a rs

Checkins & Checkouts

5 X PER WEEK
h ttp:// t ool box . hy p er is l an d. c om / c hec k- in - c hec k- ou t

1.Checkins and Checkouts. A simple, non threatening way to begin the process of
learning to facilitate dialogue and display feelings (Hyper Island Toolkit). Initially this
started by asking each team member to describe a feeling by ‘the animal that represents
my mood today’.
Once the initial awkwardness Checkins
of displaying&
Reflections Checkouts
feelings was diminished, newer subjects were
brought in, such as ‘how we felt about what
5 X PER WEEK we’d achieved the day before’ with each
A T THE p END
er is l an OF
team member eventually taking it in turn to choose the subject.
h ttp:// t ool box . hy d. c PR
om / cOJECTS
hec k- in - c hec k- ou t
h ttp: / / t ool b ox . hy p er is l an d. c om / r ef l ec t ion - t eam

Reflections
Feedback
A T THE END OF PR OJECTS
“ONE
h ttp: / / t ool b ox .IhyApPPR
THING ECIA
er is l an TE/ r A
d. c om efBOUT
l ec t ion -YOU”
t eam
h ttp://tool box . hy p er is l an d. c om / f eedb ac k- i- ap p r ec iat e

2. Reflections. Building upon the Checkins and Checkouts, Reflection was introduced
as a tool to help deepen the expression of thoughts, feelings and opinions about shared
experiences, with the ambition of building greater openness and trust into the team
(Hyper Island Toolkit). This was introduced as part of a talk I delivered on International
47
Feedback
Thank God it’s Friday!
 Mindset and Sharing & Caring Culture. I had noticed that there was a reluctance
initially to share deep feelings, however, leading by example, tentatively progress
was made. Crucially, reflections encourage the use of ‘speaking from the I’, which is
Checkins
designed to encourage alternatives & Checkouts
to passive aggressive behaviour.
Reflections
This will be something I will encourage
A T THE 5 X the
END PER founders
OFWEEK to continue to participate in so as it
PR OJECTS
h ttp:// t ool box . hy p er is l an d. c om / c hec k- in - c hec k- ou t
becomes an integral part of /the
h ttp:/ t oolcompany function.
b ox . hy p er is l an d. c om / r ef l ec t ion - t eam

Reflections
Feedback
A T THE END OF PR OJECTS
“ONE THING I A PPR ECIA TE A BOUT YOU”
h ttp: / / t ool b ox . hy p er is l an d. c om / r ef l ec t ion - t eam
h ttp://tool box . hy p er is l an d. c om / f eedb ac k- i- ap p r ec iat e

3. Feedback. Once communication between colleagues had begun to relax through

Checkins and Reflections, Feedback was introduced as a tool through which building
constructive relationships and functional teams can be achieved (Hyper Island Toolkit).
The use of feedback promotes self-awareness and insight, and is also an important tool
for promoting and harnessing change (Geister et al, 2006). As there are many different
levels of feedback (GeisterThank
et al, 2006), Feedback
God it’s
“I appreciate” Friday!
is chosen to promote gratitude
and curiosity amongst“ONEone another
THING until
I A PPR such
ECIA
1 X PER WEEK. INCLUDE R EFLECTIONS
timeTE as
A critique
BOUT of performance is ready to
YOU”
be introduced (Hyper Island Toolkit).
h ttp://tool box . hy p er is l an d. c om / f eedb ac k- i- ap p r ec iat e

Thank God it’s Friday!

1 X PER WEEK. INCLUDE R EFLECTIONS

4. Thank God It’s Friday! Adapting a company tradition of a group activity on a Friday
night, usually involving playing a board game, TGIF is evolving to be led by a different
member of the team each week, talking about something important to them and their
feelings in relation to it. This could be a book, a film, an occasion, or even a piece of
music. Following the talk, an opportunity for both those listening and the person who
delivered the talk flows in to a reflection. The purpose here is to encourage deeper
displays of emotion about interests and passions from outside of the work environment.

48
 01

02

03
01. CHECK I NS
Practising Checkins for the first time
02. TA K E M E TOUR ’S N EW VALUES
Delivery of the values to support the new TakeMeTour culture
03. ‘THA NK G OD I T’S F RIDAY! ’
Delivering a talk on International Mindset to the team
49
 6.3 TURNING EM PAT H Y AND T RU ST IN TO
INNOVATIVE VALU E
6. 3. 1 M A XI M I S E VA LUE THROUGH THE TRUST MODEL
As an inbound tour operator it is critical that TakeMeTour understand the value of
trustworthiness that its brand must communicate. In the U.K., a sizeable portion of
TakeMeTour’s customer demographic, preference for trusted brands is growing, with a
study in 2016 reflecting that 31% of Millennials will only buy from trusted brands (GFK,
2017). This behaviour is accentuated in the travel sector, attributable to concerns about
personal safety and security around global political instability (GFK, 2017).
TakeMeTour currently use social media and review sites to build awareness of their
brand, encouraging customers to interact with and buy from them through ‘free’
channels. However, such relationships are transactional and momentary (Diekhöner,
2017). Without a solid layer of trustworthiness being created immediately, TakeMeTour
may struggle to create the strong brand equity from which their proposition can move
from Startup to Innovator (Fig. 14), particularly as established players move in to their
market (Diekhöner, 2017).

ADJACENT PROPOSITION TRANSFORMATIONAL PROPOSITION

Strong Brand Equity Strong Brand Equity

ITERATOR INNOVATOR

ADJACENT PROPOSITION TRANSFORMATIONAL PROPOSITION

Weak Brand Equity Weak Brand Equity

SURVIVOR STARTUP

Fig. 14: Brand Equity and Perception, Diekhöner, 2017

By applying the Trust Model, TakeMeTour can methodically integrate greater trust
into their value proposition. Further, collaborative commercial behaviour, such as
open innovation, is stimulated by perception of trust existing between a company and
its customers, particularly relevant in the democratisation of innovation processes
(Diekhöner, 2017).

THE TR UST M ODE L

The Trust Model, Fig. 15, comprises 3 Proactive steps and 3 Reactive steps that should be
passed through in order to maximise trust as a unit of value in a brand (Diekhöner, 2017).
Although the Trust Model comprises 6 stages, Diekhöner states that successful
companies will excel in one particular area. Therefore, companies should identify which
stage is most appropriate to the value they aim to create (Diekhöner, 2017).
At the outset, this project was about identifying ways in which the travel industry might
become more proactive in its innovation efforts. By beginning this process with a focus
on Stage 1, a proactive foundation through which strong brand equity can be built may
be established.

50
 1. PE R CE PTI O N 2 . TEMPTATION 3 . CONNECTIO N
Radically focus TMT’s Provide taste tests. Help TMT’s customers
offering. socialise in safe and
Give your travellers meaningful ways.
Simplify TMT’s value experiential flexibility.

P R OACT IV E
proposition. Live in TMT’s customers’
Focus value propositions worlds.
Put authenticity above on common
all else. denominators. Let your stakeholders
influence who you are.
Disintermediate by
motivating crowd
participation.

4. VA LI DATI O N 5. ATTACHMENT 6. AF F IL IATI O N

Make it easy for Leverage tech to build Understand purpose as a
customers to find what better, faster, stronger trust accelerator.
they are looking for. relationships.
Give people reasons to
Volunteer information Embrace co-opetition commit to and believe
REACTIVE

proactively where by exploring a range of in you.

possible. partnerships.
Communicate a Reframe value creation
consistent and distinct from distributive to
message. positive-sum.
Transform customer
scrutiny into
engagement.

Fig. 15: The Trust Model, Diekhöner, 2017

FOCUS ON STAG E 1: THE PERCEPTION OF TAKEMETOUR.
Radically focus TMT’s offering
Focus on being exceptional at one thing rather than creating variety for mass appeal.
e.g. It may be better to focus on doing 40 tours with personalisable, unique value than 400
standardised tours.

Simplify TMT’s value proposition

As attention spans have become shorter, having an easily understood value proposition
makes it easy for people to choose TakeMeTour.
e.g. Focus on promoting the value of the local expert and unique insights they can provide.

Put authenticity above all else

Define TakeMeTour by the things the company genuinely cares about.
e.g. Creating friendships between people that otherwise would not meet.

51
 6. 3. 2 A PPLY I NG E M PATHY AS A TOOL FOR INNOVATION
“People do not want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter inch hole.”
(Theodore Levitt)

Jobs Theory posits that companies don’t sell products and services to customers,
rather they help people address jobs they’re attempting to get done (Christensen,
2016). This is useful for TakeMeTour as it can help the company to innovate
according to underlying needs within travel, rather than simply asking travellers
what they think they want, or relying exclusively on data (Wunker, 2012). By making
‘the job’ the unit of analysis, it is possible for TakeMeTour to achieve predictable
growth, as opposed to leaving innovation to chance, and thereby gain a competitive
advantage (Ulwick, 2017).

Jobs Theory requires the use of empathy to identify the set of circumstances that
would compel a traveller to use a TakeMeTour service over someone else’s in the
first instance (Alkabie, 2017). In order to develop greater awareness of the power
of empathy, Fig. 16 shows Jobs Theory can be broken down in to an innovation
practise (Ulwick, 2017):

THE THR E E STAG ES OF ‘JOBS TO BE DONE’

U NCOV E R I NG CREATING INTEGRATING

THE J OB THE DESIRED AROUND THE J O B
EXPERIENCES

A job is the ultimate The experiences we Aligning internal

progress an individual enable in each of these processes with the job
seeks in a given three dimensions to in order to provide the
cirumstance. fulfil the job. desired experiences.

Every job has functional, These differentiating These processes, when

social and emotional
dimensions whose relative
importance vary with
the context.
experiences in purchase and
use comprise the criteria by
which customers choose the
competitor’s product
over another.
aligned with the job, are
difficult to copy and thus
the source of competitive
advantage.

Fig. 16: Christensen, 2016

HE LPI NG TA K E M E TO UR UNCOVER JOBS WITH EMPATHY

The Jobs-To-Be-Done Discovery framework (Fig. 17) can help TakeMeTour begin
to identify undiscovered jobs by asking a specific set of questions. This may
be particularly useful for identifying new areas in which to grow their existing
business, or for adaptability in the shifting tourism landscape (Ulwick, 2017). The
purpose of asking these questions is that it requires looking in to people’s lives to
spot deeply personal struggles (Christensen, 2016).

Fig. 17: JTBD Framework, Ulwick, 2017

52
 THE TA K E M E TOUR JOBS MAP
Once a Job-To-Be-Done has been identified (by exploring travellers needs using Fig.
17), TakeMeTour can deconstruct that job into 8 specific steps through the Jobs Map
(Fig. 18). The purpose is not to discover how a customer is currently getting a Job
done, rather what must happen at each stage in order for the job to be carried out
successfully (Ulwick, 2017).

D UR I NG TRAVELL ERS ARE TAKEMETOUR CAN

THI S STE P… TRY I N G TO… INNOVATE BY…
DEFINE Determine goals and plan Simplifying itinerary planning.
resources for their trips.

LOCATE Gather items and information Making required information

needed to have the easier to find and ensuring it’s
experience. available when & where needed.
PREPARE Set up the environment Making all the components and
to travel. moving parts of an experience
more streamlined and efficient.
CONFIRM Verify that they’re ready to Giving travellers information
perform the job. they need to confirm readiness.

EXECUTE Carry out the job. Preventing problems or delays.

MONITOR Assess whether the job is Linking monitoring with

being successfully executed. improved execution.

MODIFY Make alterations to improve Reducing the need to make

execution. alterations and the number of
alterations needed.
CONCLUDE Finish the job or prepare to Designing products that simplify
repeat it. the process of concluding the job.

Fig. 18: The Jobs Map, Strategyn.com, no date

53
 07.

Samut Prakan
Photograph by Marc Morrell
FEED BAC K
7.1 Feedback
7.2 Interpreting the feedback
7.2.1 Greater Awareness of Trust?
7.2.3 Greater Awareness of Empathy?
7.3 Iterations
7.4 Conclusion

7.1 FEED BACK

Following delivery of all the recommendations, critical feedback was requested from
the founders. Feedback was also requested from team members on the culture changes.
The full transcripts are available in the appendix, however, extracts containing the most
useful insights are analysed below.

7.2 INTERP RETI NG T H E F E E DBAC K

The challenge for this project was to raise awareness of trust and empathy as units of
innovative value at TakeMeTour. The intervention suggested ways in which TakeMeTour
could improve its internal culture to support innovation strategies that built trust and
empathy into their core offering. Pleasingly, the founders and the team were receptive to
a new perspective and grateful for practical suggestions to aid their implementation.

7. 2. 1 G R E ATE R AWA RENESS OF TRUST?

The importance of trust appears to have been understood as crucial to enhancing the
perception of TakeMeTour’s credibility as a tour operator:
“Trust is critical is what we totally agree and keep improving this in many perspectives.”
(Nope, CEO TakeMeTour)
“The recommendation on building trust & add empathy element to the innovation are
something I think it’s very interesting. I’ll follow-up closely and make sure we take that
into account when developing a new idea.” (Taro, CEO TakeMeTour)
The practical solution of focussing on Diekhöner’s suggestion of ‘being exceptional at
one thing’ was also well received, largely because it is a tangible way to define what it
is TakeMeTour are associated with in their market. However, the more nebulous value
of trust in a culture that embraces failure as a necessary component of innovation, or
trust’s importance in enhancing multiple party collaboration has not been referenced.
Despite feedback suggesting the team’s willingness to engage in the ‘4 Pillars of Trust
and Empathy at TakeMeTour’, appreciating how those internal habits can be turned into
innovative value externally may require more work to penetrate entrenched cultural
attitudes and behaviours.

7. 2. 2 G R E ATE R AWA RENESS OF EMPATHY?

An appreciation of the value in identifying a traveller’s desire for progress through
empathy has brought about awareness that innovation in travel does not have to be
predicated exclusively on technology:
“When people talk about innovation, it’s often referred to technology. Innovation is
more than that. What this study suggests is to innovate each step of customer flow by
55 empathising, understanding, and offering new solution.” (Nope, CEO TakeMeTour)
 However, the feedback does still reference the use of machine learning/AI, raising the
question of whether the use of empathy is understood as a mechanism through which
innovation opportunities can be detected before machine learning becomes relevant:
“Instead of limit the offering to only few trips, we may create an innovative solution (e.g.
using Machine Learning) to display a different set of trips to a different user. [….] what
we’ll be trying to do here is to create a scalable approach to what we are good at. This is
because the experiences that people want could be subjective.” (Taro, CEO TakeMeTour)
It is true that the personal and diverse nature of travel means that there will always be a
degree of subjectivity in choice and acknowledgement of this demonstrates awareness
of TakeMeTour’s customers’s needs. However, greater emphasis on the use of technology
to support, not replace, the process of applying empathy to innovation may need to be
revisited in a way in which its value is reinforced.
Therefore, if this project has successfully revealed an alternative perspective for the
stimulation of innovation at TakeMeTour, it remains to be seen whether that awareness
is sufficient to meaningfully and sustainably promote ‘new thinking’.

7.3 ITERATIONS
Having analysed the feedback and identified opportunities for refining the
recommendations, TakeMeTour may benefit from a modified approach in the following
ways:
1. A greater emphasis on understanding the primacy of culture. To guard against
cloning, making a direct comparison between AirBnB and TakeMeTour was avoided
as part of the recommendations. However, it is arguable that presentation of a case
study of AirBnB, or another highly culture led company, may have better validated the
value of company culture, particularly as previous commentators had suggested new
ideas in Asia must be proven elsewhere first. Whilst the practice of the suggested tools
has been embraced, the feedback does not reference a deeper understanding of why
and how these lead to better innovation, likely endorsing previous research findings of
national cultural characteristics’ influence on innovative orientation. Therefore, I have
provided my research and findings to the founders about AirBnB’s innovative culture
to share with the team during a ‘Thank God It’s Friday’ session, in order to reinforce
the purpose behind the tools.
2. Supplementary empathy based tools. To highlight the importance of a human-
centric, empathy driven response to innovation, Jobs To Be Done was recommended
to TakeMeTour as it has been both conceptually and practically proven academically.
However, on reflection of the feedback, it is necessary to to appreciate that as an
unfamiliar concept, Jobs Theory requires practise and not just awareness. The bridge
between generating the necessary internal culture to promote empathy and turning
that into innovative value may be enhanced through a practical workshop on Jobs
To Be Done. Alternatively, introduction of tools such as Design Thinking or Customer
Journey Mapping, neither of which were used by the Company, may also be useful for
a practical application of empathy.

7.4 CONCLUSION
I began this project with little knowledge of what I might find at TakeMeTour. Although I
have a background in travel and have previously visited Thailand, the learning curve was
steep. As far as I am aware, this is the first time a Hyper Island student has worked with
Hyper Island Methodology in a Thai business setting.
Despite Thailand’s tourism tech space potential, the country is beset with interlaced
structural and cultural issues that cannot be bypassed or underestimated by well
56
 meaning non-native attempts to help. Therefore, this project has hopefully begun a
conversation that can reframe the focus of TakeMeTour’s efforts to scale, whilst also
raising internal awareness of the importance of cultural issues as perceived by someone
not associated with the Thai startup ecosystem. The solutions to these challenges will
take much more than foreign intervention; they will need to be determinedly led by
local, grassroots efforts to transform the status quo.
Tourism habits continually evolve, yet the fundamental human instinct to travel appears
to remain constant. In answering this project’s original question of how the industry in
Thailand might become more proactive in detecting opportunities to innovate, arguably
tourism providers should start by being tourists themselves and design accordingly.
Many of the issues highlighted through this project are unlikely to be resolved soon,
but through enhancing awareness they may to some extent be legislated for.
I would like to conclude by saying I have had a rare and privileged insight into a very
different way of approaching business. Through this project I now better understand the
imperative to innovate in tourism. I have also experienced the value of cultural exchange,
not least because the contrast obliges both parties to challenge their own assumptions.
Tourism reminds us that in a deeply digital world there is still tremendous power in
connecting with our common humanity. It is hoped that this project will have enhanced
ways in which TakeMeTour can continually innovate their way to delivering this as
they grow.

57
 08.
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 09.
APPENDIX
Arriving back in Manchester
Photograph by Marc Morrell
FE ED BAC K
FRO M T H E T E A M
AT TA KE ME TOU R
N OPPON, CEO TA K E METOUR
‘As an entrepreneur, this study is rather TakeMeTour’s self-reflection than academic thesis.
This thesis not only studied about outside perspective or business environment but into
the company’s culture. Thus, it can be applied for company improvement and be a good
suggestion as well.
“Trust is critical” is what we totally agree and keep improving this in many perspectives.
However, there are some difficulties in doing this. As mentioned in the thesis, the limited
resource in startup company is critical also and every startups need to deal with this
anyway. Moreover, travel startup like TakeMeTour, we are dealing with 2 sides of user, first
is foreigner, second is local people which suit with different approach. In case of foreigners
go visiting other developing country, it needed much more consideration before they make
a booking. In the other hand, Airbnb case, they started with domestic market which all
users are local people and the market is big enough to grow. That created an easier way to
build trust first.
When people talk about innovation, it’s often referred to technology. However, innovation
is more than that. What this study suggests is to innovate each step of customer flow by
empathizing, understanding, and offering new solution.’

TA R O, CEO TA K E M E TOUR
‘Thank you so much for the insights on how to build & promote more innovation in
TakeMeTour. I like the fact that his recommendations are quite practical. Also, it’s taking
both internal (culture aspect) & external (branding & trust) factors into account. From time
to time, it’s crucial to get a recommendation from people outside the company to look into
your business from a different & fresh perspective. 
The recommendation on building trust & add empathy element to the innovation are
something I think it’s very interesting. I’ll follow-up closely and make sure we take
that into account when developing a new idea. I have one specific comment on the
recommendations from you as follow:
Radically focus TMT’s offering: Focus on being exceptional at one thing rather than
creating variety for mass appeal. 
 > This is a very good and valid point. I totally agree that it’s good to be exceptional at one
thing. However, it’d have been even better to make a scalable impact from that. Therefore,
what we’ll be trying to do here is to create a scalable approach to what we are good at.
Instead of limit the offering to an only few trips, we may create an innovative solution (e.g.
using Machine Learning) to display a different set of trips to a different user. This is because
the experiences that people want could be subjective. 
I personally find the rest of the recommendations very insightful. I appreciate his work and
effort on this. I firmly believe this will have a positive impact on TakeMeTour in the near
future.’

PA NTONG , TA K E M E TOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE

‘Your presentation is easy to understand and have simple design (“Simple is the best”).
Your presentation also raise awareness about some obstacles about difference in culture to
67 have international mindset as we hope to have in our TMT culture. And my opinion about
 Checkins and Checkouts, I think it’s really useful to blend yourself into new workplace or
to get to know your co-worker easier. Also decrease stress from works. Its will follow by
increasing efficient productivity as well.’

ANT, TA K E M E TOUR CUSTOMER SERVIC E

‘The presentation goes deeper to the cultural differences which really explains the core
of International Mindset. (Since we’ve already started Checkins) I really like the idea of
Checkouts which connected to the closure experience you’ve talked about. It’s the same
way that we would like our customers to feel, so we should start with ourselves first.’

J E TA R I N, DE V E LOPER AT TAKEMETOUR
‘The presentation was excellent, simple is the best as Pantong said. Only one feedback
about presentation is the font on the slide, there is a font that *difficult to read*. About
Check In Check Out is good idea, we already did the check in and it works! and we should
have checkout too (actually we already have but not officially, like chit chat while walking
to the train station) It will help us knowing and understanding how was their day.’

SOM , G RA PHI C D ES IGNER AT TAKEMETOUR

‘Your presentation is good and pictures in the presentation is easy to understand. I think
like P’Jet about font it difficult to read. I can listen some word I know what that means but
do not understand well. Thank you for speak slowly.’

BE NZ, DE V E LOPE R AT TAKEMETOUR

‘I like your presentation and as everyone said “Simple is the best”, I agree with @jetarin
that some font is really hard to read (by font styling itself and also color in some slide). I like
the theory in the presentation that analyze how difference of each culture are.
About checkins and checkout, as we do check in for about 2-3 weeks I thought I like it. It can
help us to sharing how the feeling are before we are going to work all days along.
That’s all for my opinion.

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