The Foreign Office of the Government Public Relations Department of Thailand (PRD) hosted a press briefing and study tour program titled “Low-Carbon Tourism: Thailand’s Trend toward Environmental Sustainability” from 19 to 21 April 2023 at Koh Mak in Trat and in Chanthaburi province to promote Thailand’s policy on low-carbon tourism. The event was chaired by Ms. Sirinapha Pansang, Director of Media and Information Management Division, Foreign Office, and attended by over 40 Thai and foreign media agencies and media units under PRD.
Koh Mak has been promoted as a prototype for driving the green tourism policy under the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Economy Model, which focuses on high-quality tourists. Koh Mak, therefore, has been developed to be a tourism destination that can create income and distribute it to the community, while promoting good management and providing tourism sites on the island with sanitation, convenience, 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 transportation on the island and avoiding the use of food containers made from foam or other materials that worsen pollution.
Koh Mak, the first low-carbon destination in Thailand, has been praised on the international stage. The island won second place in the category of Governance, Reset, and Recovery of the Green Destinations Story Award at ITB Berlin 2023, held on 7-9 March 2023. ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismusborse Berlin) is the world’s leading travel trade show in Germany. In 2022, Koh Mak had also been chosen to be listed among the top 100 Destination Sustainability Stories 2022. The relevant authorities in Thailand have been working to push Koh Mak to achieve global tourism standards, according to Green Destinations, by 2027.
During the program, the media delegation received a press briefing on Thailand’s sustainable tourism policy, and the development and upgrading of Koh Mak as a low-carbon destination by integrating the role of local operators, communities, and visitors. The panel discussion was held by representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization) or DASTA, the Tourism Council of Trat, and the Koh Mak Subdistrict Administrative Organization.
On this occasion, the delegation observed the garbage clean-up activity conducted by the “Trash Hero,” a group of foreign volunteers gathering every week to collect garbage on the beach. The delegation also learned how to plant coral, did snorkeling activities, and made tie-dyed handicrafts with natural colors derived from native 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. Agro-tourism is a value-added type of agriculture through tourism, which not only helps increase income for locals but also fosters good agricultural practices. (NNT)
