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Thailand: Dasta urges community tour packages
The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta) aims to push community-based tour packages subsidised by the government for the 1.2 million health volunteers that assisted in fighting the pandemic.
The “Moral Support” tourism campaign will provide a 2,000-baht subsidy for two-day, one-night holidays to volunteers as thanks for their hard work in stopping the spread of the virus.
Thaweebhong Wichaidit, Dasta director-general, said he will propose these community-based tour packages to tour operators and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to help contribute income to both tour operators and local communities, who have been struggling as the tourism sector has been barren.
Mr Thaweebhong said tour operators can become instructors for 40 out of 81 communities under Dasta’s supervision, such as Bang Kra Jao in Samut Prakan, to design at least 20 new tourism packages and enhance marketing capabilities.
There are 140 members from the Tourism Council of Thailand and six other tourism associations, namely the Association of Domestic Travel; the Association of Thai Travel Agents; the Asean Tourism Association; the Thai Travel Agents Association; the Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association; and the Thailand Responsible Tourism Association involved in the upskilling programme.
Despite the pandemic, the agency is continuing with its four-year plan (2019-22), which includes resubmitting Nan and Suphan Buri for the title of Unesco Creative Cities in 2021 as a city of crafts and folk arts and city of music, respectively.
For the 2023 Unesco Creative Cities listing, Dasta plans to submit Phetchaburi as either a city of crafts and folk arts or gastronomy, while Chiang Rai will be submitted in the media arts category.
He said the agency will cooperate with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry to push Tham Luang cave at Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Chiang Rai to be listed as a Global Geopark by Unesco.
Thailand received its first Geopark designation for Satun in 2016.
Dasta plans to nominate six areas — Nan, Sukhothai, Loei, Suphan Buri, Phetchaburi and Trat — for at least two awards in the top 100 sustainable destinations awards at ITB Berlin in 2022.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1940608/dasta-urges-community-tour-packages