Hello friend,

This week, we’re excited to introduce two major initiatives in our mission to elevate sustainable tourism.

First, we’re thrilled to share the inaugural story of our special series, Thailand’s Best-Kept Sustainable Travel Stories. Our team traveled across Thailand, visiting inspiring leaders and businesses that are pioneering the future of responsible tourism. You won’t want to miss this inside look at the country’s most innovative sustainability efforts.

Second, after successful forums in Manila, Subic Bay, and Phuket, we are proud to announce the final stop of this year’s AST Forum will be Hanoi. We’d like to invite Vietnam’s tourism professionals to join us. Read on for details below.

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Thailand’s Tourism at a Crossroads: Can Sustainability Shape its Future?

Thailand is more than just a travel destination. It’s the beating heart of Asia’s tourism industry. With nearly 40 million visitors in 2023 alone, the country stands as the region’s top tourist draw. 

After the pandemic brought global travel to a standstill, Thailand has been bouncing back fast. In 2023, the country’s tourism sector surged, contributing an estimated 17-18% to its GDP, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The World Bank expects this resurgence to fuel Thailand’s economic recovery through 2024.

But as Thailand aims to accelerate its recovery through casino tourism to cannabis tourism, questions loom: Is there another way forward? Can this mass tourism model be the way forward?

Amid growing concerns about the effects of climate change, biodiversity loss, and cultural disruption, can Thailand harness its tourism success while also setting a new standard for sustainable, responsible travel? Will this model pay off? If so, in what ways? 

In our special series, Thailand’s Best-Kept Sustainable Travel Stories, we visit hidden gems, businesses, communities, and speak with officials at the Tourism Authority Of Tourism leading the charge toward a more conscious tourism model. From Phuket’s idyllic beaches to the bustling streets of Bangkok, we’ll explore how sustainability can redefine travel in Thailand.

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Phuket: Where Mass Tourism and Sustainable Innovation Collide

Phuket exemplifies the duality of Thailand’s tourism evolution, capturing both the pitfalls of mass tourism and the promise of sustainable travel.

For years, Phuket has been synonymous with mass tourism—a model that has led to overcrowding, environmental degradation, and immense pressure on local communities and resources.

In response to these challenges, a growing number of hospitality businesses in Phuket are driving efforts toward a more sustainable future.

A pivotal force behind this movement is the Phuket Hotels Association, which has propelled the Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism (PHIST) event into Southeast Asia’s largest sustainable tourism learning platform in the past eight years. 

Asia Sustainable Travel recently hosted its AST Forum at PHIST in September. You can read more about the key highlights here. 

During our visit to Phuket, we met with Bjorn Courage, the President of the Phuket Hotels Association, who also serves as General Manager of the InterContinental Phuket Resort. 

The property has become a beacon of responsible hospitality in an industry often associated with excess. From circular water systems to zero-waste kitchens, their initiatives stand out, not just in Phuket, but across the InterContinental brand globally.

When I asked about the resort’s impact on the InterContinental brand, Marketing Director Tipaxsorn Nampetch, fondly known as Nikki, shared, “I hope what we’re achieving here in Phuket is pushing the corporate brand to rethink what it means to offer conscious luxury.”

She added, “We aim to be a model for other hotels in Phuket and Thailand, demonstrating that hospitality can be socially inclusive and environmentally responsible without compromising its financial ambition.”

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InterContinental Phuket Resort: Redefining Luxury with Purpose

The resort’s restaurant Jaras embraces zero-waste cooking, through fermentation and repurposing leftovers, while partnering with WWF-Thailand and the Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN) to incorporate invasive species into its fine dining menu.

The resort’s sustainability efforts extend beyond its walls with the ‘Proud Kamala’ initiative and a daily debris-collecting catamaran.

As a LEED® Gold-certified property, it prioritizes energy and water efficiency, and promotes eco-education through its Kid’s Educational Program. Additionally, the resort combats local food insecurity by distributing 500 meal boxes on World Food Day with Scholars of Sustenance Thailand (SOS).

For the next installment of the Thailand’s Best-Kept Sustainable Travel Stories series, we journey south to Koh Phi Phi to explore the overtourism and environmental challenges faced by the famed Maya Bay. 

We visited Zeavola and SAii Phi Phi Village Resort and learned how these properties have implemented various initiatives aimed at adapting to the visible effects of climate change in the region.

Stay tuned.

There are 4 ways that you can join us:

👉🏽 Speak: Share your expertise on these pressing topics as one of our speakers.
👉🏽 Co-Host: Partner with us to host the AST Forum at your visionary hotel.
👉🏽 Sponsor: Showcase your innovative solutions to a highly engaged audience.
👉🏽 Attend: Join the waitlist to secure your spot and receive updates.

Together, we’ll deep dive into some of the critical areas:

»»» Sustainability Certification: Green Stamp or Greenwash?
»»» Typhoon Yagi Aftermath: Building Climate Resilience in Vietnam’s Tourism or Sustainability: A Revenue-Generating Strategy or a Cost Center

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