DTC Student Represents Thailand at the 7th Global Tourism Student Summit on World Tourism Day 2026 

On the occasion of World Tourism Day on 27 September 2026, Mr. V Jer Lee, a student in the International Program at Dusit Thani College, was selected to represent Thailand as a Student Speaker at the 7th Global Tourism Student Summit.  

The summit was organised by Voluptuaria, the Tourism Department Organization of Joji Ilagan International Management School in Davao City, Philippines. It was held online via Zoom in celebration of World Tourism Day, which UN Tourism declares each year. The event brought together student speakers and participants from the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. International partners included the Asia Pacific Institute for Events Management, the American Hospitality Academy and Workskills Australia. 

This year’s theme was “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” V Jer Lee presented “How AI and Digital Technology Are Transforming the Future of Tourism: A View from Thailand – Smart, but Soulful.” He opened with an everyday Bangkok scene: a noodle stall with no sign and no website, yet a queue of foreign visitors brought there by algorithms, translation apps and digital maps. From there, he looked at four shifts:  

• Smarter travel planning: AI is removing friction from itineraries, entry, language and real-time decisions. 

• AI meeting local communities: Simple tools such as reels, QR menus, direct booking links and AI assistants help small businesses keep more of their income in the local area. 

• Technology that protects places: Lessons from Maya Bay, sensors on reefs and forests, and digital recording of heritage sites like Ayutthaya. 

• Keeping tourism human: Machines can handle the routine tasks, so hospitality professionals have more time for the guests. 

He closed with a message for his generation: “We will not be asked whether tourism should be digital. We will be asked whether it stayed worth travelling for.” 

In recognition of his contribution, V Jer Lee received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Voluptuaria Organization and the International Management School. 

  V Jer Lee brings an unusual blend of culinary and hospitality experience to the programme. He holds an associate’s degree in culinary arts with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in New York. He spent a year at Eleven Madison Park, rising from prep cook to chef de partie, and won three bronze medals at the Thailand Ultimate Chef Competition 2024. At DTC, he is a member of DTC Young Professionals and represented the college at the UN Global Conference on Education for a Sustainable Future in Bangkok.