Thailand Prepared To Host APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting In August 2022

Thailand announced its preparedness to host the 11th APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting and the 60th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting in Bangkok from 14-20 August 2022, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, said, “This is the first time that Thailand will host a ministerial meeting on tourism in 21 APEC member economies, which is expected to be attended by more than 300 ministers and officials. The meetings will be held with a ‘Low-carbon’ approach under the concept of ‘Regenerative Tourism’ that promotes sustainable recovery post-pandemic.”

The notion of ‘Regenerative Tourism’ emphasizes a holistic approach to making and promoting tourism that considers all potential consequences on the environment, culture, and local way of life. In addition to restoring tourist assets, the model argues for sustainable tourism development by balancing tourist numbers to suit the attraction and, more crucially, stressing service quality and consistency above tourist numbers.

The goal is also to encourage locals to engage in and profit from inclusive and equitable tourism, as well as to raise awareness of the importance of cultural and environmental preservation. This aligns with the Royal Thai Government’s Bio-Circular-Green initiative, which aims to revitalize Thailand’s tourist economy via safe, inclusive, and sustainable travel.

“As APEC 2022 host, Thailand is aiming to push forward the APEC Policy Recommendations on Regenerative Tourism to pave the way forward for the future of tourism across the Asia-Pacific region. Thailand will certainly use these recommendations as a starting point for tourism policy planning that builds on the concept of sustainable tourism to help revive our tourism sector affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr. Phiphat said.

Parallel events will include an academic lecture on “Co-Creating Regenerative Tourism” and an expedition concentrating on Bangkok’s historic Talat Noi area and Nakhon Pathom’s Sampran Model, in addition to the APEC tourism ministers’ meeting and working group. These are intended to provide event attendees with the opportunity to experience community tourism through the ‘Regenerative Tourism’ concept.