The Foreign Office of the Public relations department of the Government of Thailand (PRD) organized a press conference and study tour program entitled “Low Carbon Tourism: Thailand’s trend towards environmental sustainability” from April 19 to 21, 2023 in Koh Mak, in Trat, and in the province of Chanthaburi.
The aim of the program is to promote Thailand’s low carbon tourism policy. The event was chaired by Sirinapha Pansang, Director of the Media and Information Management Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was attended by more than 40 Thai and foreign communication agencies and media units under the PRD.
Koh Mak, an example of sustainable tourism
Koh Mak has been promoted as a prototype to drive green tourism policy under the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) Model. The island of Koh Mak has therefore been developed to be a tourist destination that can create income and distribute it to the community, while promoting good management and providing the island’s tourist sites with sanitation, comfort and safety.
Consequently, the “Koh Mak Charter” is considered a mutual agreement to promote environmentally friendly tourism activities, such as encouraging the use of bicycles and electric vehicles for transport on the island and avoiding the use of food packaging made with foam or other materials that worsen contamination.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Eat Thai organize a food festival in Bangkok
Koh Mak, Thailand’s first low-carbon destination, has received acclaim on the international scene. The island won second place in the Governance, Restoration and Recovery category of the Green Destinations Story Award at the ITB Berlin 2023, held from March 7 to 9, 2023. The ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismusborse Berlin) is the main trade fair for Germany tourism. In 2022, Koh Mak had also been chosen to feature in the Top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories 2022. Thailand’s competent authorities have been working to push Koh Mak to meet global tourism standards, according to Green Destinations, by 2027.
About the press conference
During the programme, the media delegation received a press briefing on Thailand’s sustainable tourism policy, and the development and enhancement of Koh Mak as a low-carbon destination by integrating the role of local operators, communities and visitors. The panel discussion was led by representatives of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Administration of Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism (public organization) or DASTA, the Trat Tourism Board and the Koh Mak Sub-District Administrative Organization.
Koh Mak has been promoted as a prototype to drive green tourism policy under the Bio-Circular-Green Economy Model
On this occasion, the delegation observed the garbage cleanup activity carried out by the “Trash Hero”, a group of foreign volunteers who meet every week to collect garbage on the beach. The delegation also learned how to plant coral, went snorkeling and made handicrafts dyed with natural colors derived from indigenous plants and minerals.
In Chanthaburi province, the delegation participated in agro-tourism activities at KP Garden Chanthaburi to experience an eco-friendly rural way of life. Agritourism is a type of value-added agriculture through tourism, which not only helps increase the income of the local population but also encourages good agricultural practices.
