Phetchaburi, Thailand, November 19, 2024 / TRAVELINDEX / The PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2024 (PDMF 2024), held from November 12-14 at Dusit Thani Hua Hin in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, positioned the province as an ideal location for international conferences, highlighted its designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, and fostered closer cooperation between the province, local stakeholders, and major tourism organizations. This success aligns with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau's (TCEB) goal of establishing smaller cities as MICE destinations.

The event was organized by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in partnership with Phetchaburi Province, the Tourism & Ecological Transition Fund (TCEB), and the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), with support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Under the theme "Authentic, Enriching Travel: Promoting Culture, Culinary Delights, and Community Knowledge," the PDMF 2024 explored the impact of tourism beyond economic growth. The forum highlighted community-based tourism (CBT) and its positive effects on local communities, job creation, cultural preservation, and collaboration between national and regional authorities to promote tourism.

“This year’s forum theme perfectly captures the essence of responsible tourism,” remarked PATA Chairman Peter Semone in his opening address. “Today, tourism must go beyond mere economic growth and incorporate its ecological and socio-cultural aspects to generate positive impacts on host communities. The value of tourism lies not only in the revenue it generates, but also in its ability to create jobs, protect culture, support environmental conservation, and foster a community economy that benefits all members of a community.” Mr. Semone also expressed his sincere gratitude to all partners and acknowledged their invaluable contribution to the event’s success.

Wanpen Mungsri, Deputy and Acting Governor of Phetchaburi Province, stated: “Under the theme ‘Authentic and Successful Travel: Promoting Culture, Culinary Delights, and Community Knowledge,’ the PATA Destination Marketing Forum focuses on destinations with the potential to showcase unique cultural heritage, local culinary specialties, and community-based knowledge. This will provide participants with meaningful travel experiences, promote sustainable prosperity, and boost tourism growth while preserving natural resources and traditional cultural heritage. This aligns with global tourism trends that prioritize local community engagement, sustainable growth, environmentally friendly practices, and combating climate change. Above all, Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region will strive for stable, prosperous, and sustainable growth that leaves no one behind.”

“We are delighted to present Phetchaburi Province to you at the PATA Forum, a jewel on the Gulf of Thailand that uniquely combines arts and crafts, culture, nature, and gastronomy,” said Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of the TCEB. “This wealth of natural and cultural treasures has motivated the TCEB to work with the city in recent years to develop Phetchaburi into an attractive MICE destination and leverage its valuable offerings as competitive unique selling points. With your support, Phetchaburi and Thailand will help strengthen the MICE sector, benefiting the entire industry and—more importantly—integrating the local population into our value chain.”

Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Deputy Governor for International Marketing in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), stated: “This forum is of particular importance as it brings together some of the brightest minds and most dedicated advocates in destination marketing. We are not just here to discuss tourism trends, but to define them. Our conversations and insights over the coming days will lay the foundation for promoting cultural heritage, culinary traditions, and strong community cohesion – elements that make each destination not only unique but also resilient.”

Major General Athikun Kongmee, Director General of DASTA, stated: “DASTA places great importance on tourism development that generates income for the local population, improves employment opportunities, and strengthens the sustainability of local livelihoods. One of the challenges of sustainable tourism development is ensuring that tourism revenue benefits all stakeholders and contributes to the quality of life and well-being of the community. DASTA is proud to co-organize the professional tours for authentic travel experiences in Phetchaburi Province as part of the PDMF 2024. DASTA’s collaboration with the province and all relevant sectors contributed to Phetchaburi becoming a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) – City of Gastronomy – in 2021.”

On November 13, delegates participated in one of three different tours organized by DASTA and its partners, showcasing community-supported tourism in Phetchaburi. Tour highlights included hands-on cooking classes for local dishes, seasonal salt harvesting, the creation of traditional Thai shadow puppets, and visits to popular tourist attractions. Delegates were encouraged to share their experiences on social media as part of the "Phetchaburi in Focus" social media competition. The winners were announced during the conference.

The following day, participants attended conference sessions led by tourism professionals, community representatives, and experts from various fields, including digital marketing, marine biology, culinary arts, and renewable energy. Public sector representatives included the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, the National Food Institute (NFI), the Nepalese Tourism Bureau, the Palau Tourism Authority, the Sabah Tourism Board, the Sarawak Tourism Board, and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Private sector representatives included e-Tourism Frontiers, Intrepid Travel, OAG, and Thailand.org.

Topics discussed included “Community-driven sustainability: Building a future through responsible development”; “Community vs. tourism”; “Preserving cultural heritage: A journey through music and tradition”; “Street food: Balancing tradition and hygiene”; and “Why legacy is important for MICE”.

A highlight of the forum was the lecture series by Arnon Wongchiang, a lecturer in hotel and hospitality management at the Faculty of Management Sciences at Silpakorn University. He presented the three flavors of Phetchaburi. In each session, participants learned more about the origins of Phetchaburi salt, palm sugar, and lime, their production methods, and their numerous benefits that extend far beyond taste. To round off the experience, some participants were given the opportunity to sample a margarita made with these local Phetchaburi ingredients.

The event welcomed over 370 delegates from 26 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, including Australia; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; Chinese Taipei; Gibraltar; Hong Kong (SAR); India; Indonesia; Japan; Laos; Macau, China; Malaysia; Nepal; New Zealand; Oman; Palau; Philippines; Singapore; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; United Kingdom; and the USA.

Photos from the event can be viewed and downloaded from PATA's Flickr page at the following link: www.flickr.com/photos/patahq/collections/72157723291679981/

The PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2024 was proudly supported by the Province of Phetchaburi, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT); the official venue, Dusit Thani Hua Hin; the farewell dinner sponsor, Avani+ Hua Hin; the accommodation sponsors, AVANI+ Hua Hin Resort, Dusit Thani Hua Hin, Long Beach Cha-am Hotel, Tara Mantra Cha-Am Resort, and The Regent Cha-Am Beach Resort; the sponsor, Thailand.org; partners, the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand (BCST), Phetchaburi Rajabhat University, the Program Management Unit for Competitiveness (PMUC), and the Thai Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Association (TEATA); event tech partners, Cvent and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau.

Media partners supporting the event included Travelindex Media Group, TravelDailyNews Asia, Travel Voice Japan, TravTalk, TTG Asia, TTR Weekly and TTN Worldwide.

About PATA: Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the responsible development of travel and tourism in, from, and within the Asia-Pacific region. The association provides targeted advocacy, in-depth research, and innovative events to its member organizations, which include government, state, and city tourism authorities, international airlines and airports, hotel and hospitality businesses, educational institutions, and young members worldwide. The PATA network also fosters the engagement of PATA chapters and student chapters, which organize numerous training programs and business development events for the travel industry globally. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 31 local PATA chapters worldwide, while hundreds of students are active in the 15 PATA student chapters. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unique data, forecasts, and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre directly to members' desktop and mobile devices worldwide. PATA has been headquartered in Bangkok since 1998. The association also maintains an official office in Beijing. Visit www.PATA.org.