PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2024 (PDMF 2024), held from November 12-14 at the Dusit Thani Hua Hin in Phetchaburi Province, Thailand, positioned the province as an ideal international conference destination, highlighted its designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, and fostered closer collaboration between the province, local stakeholders, and major tourism organisations. This achievement aligns with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB)’s objective of promoting secondary and tertiary cities as MICE destinations.
The event was organised by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in partnership with Phetchaburi Province, TCEB, and the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), with the support of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Under the theme “Authentic Prosperous Journeys: Nurturing Culture, Culinary Delights, and Community Wisdom,” PDMF 2024 explored the impact of tourism beyond economic growth. The forum spotlighted community-based tourism (CBT) and examined its positive effects on local communities, job creation, cultural preservation, and the collaboration between national and provincial authorities to promote tourism.
“The theme of this year’s forum captures the essence of what meaningful tourism is,” PATA Chair Peter Semone remarked in his welcome speech, during the event’s opening ceremony. “Tourism today must extend beyond mere economic growth to embrace the environmental and sociocultural aspects of tourism, creating a positive ripple effect in the communities that host us. The value of tourism lies not only in the revenue it generates but in its power to create jobs, protect culture, support environmental preservation, and foster a shared economy that lifts all members of a community.” Mr. Semone also extended his sincere appreciation to all partners, commending their invaluable contributions to the event’s success.
Wanpen Mungsri, Deputy Governor, Acting Governor of Phetchaburi Province said, “Under the theme Authentic Prosperous Journeys: Nurturing Culture, Culinary Delights, and Community Wisdom, PATA Destination Marketing Forum focuses on destinations that possess the potential to showcase unique cultural heritage, local culinary strengths, and community-driven local wisdom that can create meaningful travel experiences for participants, foster sustainable prosperity, and promote tourism growth while preserving natural resources and traditional cultural assets. This aligns with global tourism trends that prioritise community involvement, sustainable growth, and eco-friendly practices, as well as addressing climate change. Most importantly, Thailand and the Asia Pacific region will strive toward stable, prosperous, and sustainable growth, leaving no one behind.”
“For this PATA Forum, we are proud to bring to you Phetchaburi province, a gem of the gulf of Thailand offering a fine blend of arts-craft- culture-nature and gastronomy,” said Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President, TCEB. “The mentioned wealth of nature and cultural treasures have attracted TCEB to work with the city since the past several years aimed to make Phetchaburi a MICE-capable destination, being able to turn those high value offerings into competitive unique selling points of MICE destination. With all your support, Phetchaburi and Thailand will help boost MICE value for the benefit of our whole industry and, more importantly, bring local communities into our value chain.”
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Deputy Governor for International Marketing Europe America Middle East and Africa, TAT, said “This forum holds special significance, as it brings together some of the brightest minds and most passionate advocates in destination marketing. We’re not here merely to discuss tourism trends; we are here to define them. Our conversations and insights over the coming days will lay the groundwork for nurturing cultural heritage, culinary traditions, and strong community bonds—elements that make each destination not only unique but also resilient.”
Gp. Capt Athikun Kongmee, Director General, DASTA, said “DASTA places importance on the tourism development that generates income to the local, enhances employment opportunities, and improves the sustainability of local livelihoods. The challenges of sustainable tourism development include ensuring that income derived from tourism is distributed to all stakeholders and contributed to the community’s quality of life and well-being. DASTA is proud to be a co-host of PDMF 2024 in organizing the technical tours for authentic destination experiences in Phetchaburi Province, which DASTA’s incorporation with the Province and all relevant sector has driven Phetchaburi Province to become a member city of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) – City of Gastronomy in 2021.”
On November 13, delegates joined one of three different tour routes arranged by DASTA and its partners, which showcased Phetchaburi’s community-driven tourism. Highlights of the tours included hands-on experiences in cooking local dishes, seasonal salt-making, traditional Thai shadow puppet-making, and visits to iconic landmarks. Delegates were encouraged to post about their experiences on social media as part of the “Phetchaburi in Focus: Social Media Contest,” with winners announced during the conference.
On the following day, attendees participated in conference sessions led by tourism professionals, community leaders, and specialists from diverse fields, including digital marketing, marine biology, culinary arts, and renewable energy. Representing the public sector were organisations such as the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, the National Food Institute (NFI), the Nepal Tourism Board, the Palau Visitors Authority, the Sabah Tourism Board, the Sarawak Tourism Board, and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority. Representatives from the private sector included e-Tourism Frontiers, Intrepid Travel, OAG, and Thailand.org, to name a few.
Topics discussed include “Community-Driven Sustainability: Building a Future Through Responsible Development”; “Community vs Tourism”; “Embracing Cultural Heritage: A Journey Through Music and Tradition”; “Street Food: Balancing Tradition and Hygiene”; and “Why Legacy Matters for MICE”.
A key highlight of the forum was a series of presentations by Arnon Wongchiang, Instructor, Management Hotel and Lodging, Faculty of Management Science, Silpakorn University, that showcased Phetchaburi’s three flavours. In each session, delegates learned the origins of Phetchaburi’s salt, toddy palm sugar, and lime; their production processes, and their diverse benefits beyond tastes. To further enrich the experience, some of the delegates were invited to taste a Margarita made with these local Phetchaburi ingredients.
The event welcomed over 370 delegates from 26 destinations across Asia Pacific and beyond, including Australia; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Cambodia; China; Chinese Taipei; Gibraltar; Hong Kong (SAR); India; Indonesia; Japan; Lao PDR; Macao, China; Malaysia; Nepal; New Zealand; Oman; Palau; Philippines; Singapore; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; United Kingdom; and USA.
