Community-based tourism (CBT) in Thailand has risen in demand in recent years, driven by corporates and associations seeking memorable, authentic experiences to elevate their event, while supporting local enterprises and contributing to community advancement at the same time.
According to the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), this rising interest to integrate CBT programmes into itineraries are being requested by both local and international business event planners.
Chuta Tharachai, director of the corporate strategy development department at TCEB, emphasised that TCEB is committed to developing sustainable tourism practices for business events – in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – through partnerships with academia and the private sector.
Speaking at a session titled Paving the way for embracing sustainability and empowering community, at the recently-concluded IT&CM Asia 2023, Chuta also pointed out by contributing to the well-being and sustainability of the host community, organisations can leave a lasting, positive impact that will continue to benefit the community long after the event has concluded.
Also on the panel sat Krisanee Srisatin, founder and managing director of Stream Events Asia, agreed that her international clients who organise recurring business events in Thailand are constantly seeking new sustainability initiatives, which also tend to be “centred around health and wellness”.
Krisanee has also forged a close partnership with TCEB, to help identify potential tourism products in rural communities that can be refined into successful group activities of international standards.
To date, Stream Events Asia has conducted training sessions for over 500 villagers, where the sessions share how they can welcome and engage with foreign visitors and showcase their products well.
One project TCEB is currently developing, in partnership with Kasetsart University, is a forest bathing product as a wellness programme for corporate groups.
Dararat Simpattanawong, director of Kasetsart University’s International Integrated Tourism Management Programme at Faculty of Humanities, elaborated that over the past two years, the university has been conducting scientific research focused on the advantages of forest bathing, and is actively working on crafting a prototype tailored specifically for Thailand.
