The Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability Tourism Forum 2016 was organised by TAT as part of TTF 2016 in Bangkok
Thailand is focusing on developing community-based tourism in sync with the Royal Thai Government’s National Tourism Development Plan and as part of the ministry of tourism & sports of Thailand’s efforts to attract more quality visitors to the Kingdom. The ‘Stability, Prosperity, and Sustainability Tourism Forum 2016’, organised by TAT as part of TTF 2016 in Bangkok recently formed part of the many activities under the Ministry of Tourism & Sports of Thailand and TAT to educate the industry and encourage greater participation in promoting community-based tourism in order to achieve stability, prosperity and sustainability for Thailand’s tourism.
The theme of the forum was ‘Community-based Tourism as a Global Trend’. More than 200 travel and tourism operators, private and government organisations from across the country attended the forum. Inaugurating the forum, HE General Thanasak Patimaprakorn, deputy prime minister of Thailand, gave a broad overview of the national, social and development priorities and delved on the important role played by the tourism department in fulfilling the goals. He promised full government support to the tourism industry to achieve its targets.
Wattanavrangkul said, “Under the Royal Thai Government’s National Tourism Development Plan for 2016-2017, we plan to disperse income to local communities nationwide as well as build a better quality of life for the local people, thereby strengthening the communities, and promoting the preservation of Thai culture and traditions. All these will lead to the conservation of our natural resources and the sustainability of the country’s tourism industry as a whole.”Supasorn said, “Community-based tourism is a global trend. Today, travellers are in search for tourism products and services that take into account environmental, economical, and social sustainability. This is a new aspect of tourism that TAT will be gearing towards for future tourism development of Thailand.”
The forum included speakers like Robert Basiuk, executive director, Borneo Adventure in Malaysia, who outlined how community-based tourism is becoming a global trend. Peter Richards, a sustainable tourism expert with Thailand’s Community Based Tourism Institute (CBT-I), provided a more detailed account on how Thai communities are catering to the tourism sector, both domestic and foreign. Basiuk lauded Thailand as a model destination that adopts strategies and practices towards sustainability tourism. He said that in order to achieve sustainability for the development and promotion of community-based tourism, which helps disperse income to all parts of the society, the initiative would require cooperation from all involved, especially the private sector. While Richards added, “Community-based tourism is popular among European travellers as they look for memorable quality travel experiences. Community-based tourism means something simple but with a unique identity and story, and offers a new and insightful experience of the local way of life of the people in that particular community.”
The forum ended with a panel discussion titled ‘Power of Communities: Best Practices and Models for Implementation’, where new generation entrepreneurs who have created new forms of activities and products shared their valuable insights. Ayu Chuepa, co-founder, Akha Ama Coffee; Somsuk Boonkham, founder and CEO, Local Alike; Kawee Kokiatkun, founder, Maajaidum, a local whisky brand; Sukajit Daenghai of Mae Teeta, an organic textile and clothes brand; and Chayanich Thamparipattra, co-founder, Hivesters participated in the panel discussion.
Hosted by TAT, the Stability, Prosperity and Sustainability Tourism Forum 2016 was organised to promote community-based tourism knowledge and to help various stakeholders identify new business opportunities. The event was also set to provide opportunities for participants to establish networks with the entrepreneurs who had successfully implemented a community-based tourism platform.