THAILAND. King Power Group, the country’s dominant travel retailer, has partnered with AOT Ground Aviation Services Co* (AOTGA) to launch the ‘Power of Inclusion’ campaign, which promotes and supports diversity and equality across the organisations and Thai society.
The far-reaching initiative is backed by strategic support and recommendations from the United Nations Development Programme** (UNDP).
A three-phase roadmap has been set up with the goal of becoming a joint organisation that implements sustainable policies on diversity, equality and employee inclusion (DEI) in the tourism industry by 2027.
King Power Group Assistant Chief Operating Officer & Chief Resource Management Officer Apichet Srivaddhanaprabha commented: “Over the years, King Power Group has prioritised policies on diversity, equality and inclusion, continuously promoting the acceptance of differences among employees. One of the organisation’s key missions is ‘Empowerment’, which aims to support our employees to be their best selves.”
To drive this policy forward, King Power Group has partnered with AOTGA, based on the premise that the companies’ services represent the first two gateways to welcome travellers from around the world.
Both share the ‘Power of Inclusion’ campaign goal to encourage employees to recognise their own value and understand the importance of DEI.
This campaign encourages all employees to voice their opinions and actively participate in fostering the organisation’s growth efficiently, while setting a new standard for Thai society.
This aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting gender equality for all girls and women, supporting sustainable economic growth, reducing inequalities within and among countries, and strengthening the means of implementation for sustainable development.
AOTGA President Siriwat Tovachirakul stated: “AOTGA places a great importance on driving sustainability both economically and socially. Sustainable development within the organisation is crucial.
“We constantly promote and support diversity, equality and acceptance of differences. This not only helps create a better working environment, but also contributes to better business benefits, including more efficient productivity and better creativity.”
King Power Group and AOTGA have outlined a joint operational roadmap divided into three phases as follows:
- Phase 1 (2024): Jointly set direction, raise awareness and organise educational activities to foster understanding of human rights policies.
- Phase 2 (2025): Instil an inclusivity-oriented mindset through DEI learning courses for employees, encouraging all employees to participate in expressing opinions and making decisions for the growth of the organisation.
- Phase 3 (2026): Offer inclusive benefits catered for all diversities, such as providing marriage leave for all gender groups and adoption leave for all employees.
For both parties, the goal is to become an organisation that implements DEI policies sustainably within the tourism industry by 2027. This will include creating a manual for the UNDP to further develop it into a guideline for other businesses.
The launch event for the ‘Power of Inclusion’ campaign will be held at King Power Rangnam in Bangkok with employees from both organisations in attendance to demonstrate the power of collaboration and acceptance of diversity.
Additionally, Thai actor and singer Koen Pataradanai Setsuwan (who goes by they/them pronouns), a model artist for Inclusion and a source of inspiration for many, will appear at the event. They will share valuable perspectives and experiences on the topic of ‘Power of Inclusion’, #BecauseEveryoneHasValue, and provide positive energy to the employees attending the event. ✈
- * AOT Ground Aviation Services Co Ltd (AOTGA) is a subsidiary of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT), which entered into a joint venture agreement with SAL Group (Thailand) Co Ltd (SAL) to establish AOTGA in October 2018 to provide ground-handling services at all airports under AOT’s responsibility.
- ** UNDP is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development.
