Meaningful Travel: Responsible and Sustainable Tourism in Thailand
- Özgür Töre
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is promoting the kingdom’s meaningful travel direction towards more sustainable and inclusive tourism and the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign, while launching the “Always Warm” winter marketing initiative to a worldwide tourism industry audience at the World Travel Market (WTM) 2022 which took place at ExCeL London from 7-9 November.
This is the 41st time TAT has participated in the leading trade show. Graciously supporting Thailand’s participation at WTM 2022 is Princess Ubolratana, with a visit to the Thailand Stand this afternoon, showing how to make Khao Yum Dok Dala or rice salad with red ginger lily to promote local gastronomy uniquely of the Southern Thailand, and to preside over at the Amazing Thailand Night: Royal Gala Dinner 2022, in the evening.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said “WTM is an extremely beneficial platform for us to reiterate the message of the ‘Visit Thailand Year 2022-2023: Amazing New Chapters’ campaign and our commitment towards more sustainable and inclusive tourism. Now that Thailand is once again fully open to international tourism, and the winter season begins in countries like the UK, we want to extend our warm welcome to visitors to come and experience Thailand’s nice and warm weather, as well as new and existing meaning travel offerings throughout the kingdom.”
The Thailand Stand features the concept of ‘Meaningful Travel: Responsible and Sustainable Tourism’, placing emphasis on Thailand’s strengths in biological diversity and cultural richness. The interior design and decoration is based on a ‘nature’ concept – with colour tones and lighting that conveys a feeling of ‘warmth’ and invokes the sense of ‘always warm’, which reflects a warm weather and Thai hospitality.
TAT’s drive towards more sustainable and responsible tourism was also reflected in additional criteria for Thai tourism organisations at the Thailand Stand. Joining the TAT at the stand were 38 sellers from Thailand including hoteliers, DMCs, tour operators, airlines, and tourism destinations, which were selected based on their sustainability business approach and other such activities such as waste management and energy consumption management, and whether they had received recognition for green or sustainable tourism. This model and similar criteria will be used by the TAT when selecting sellers for B2B marketing events at all future events.
The stand highlighted products and services that promoted sustainability, a ‘green’ approach, inclusion of local communities, arts, and culture from cities around Thailand that potentially matched the growing trend and travel behaviour of the UK and European markets. Also showcased were 20 low-carbon destinations in Thailand, secondary tourism destinations, and regenerative tourism initiatives in line with the Royal Thai Government’s Bio-Circular-Green or BCG Economy Model.
