Back at the beginning of November, the KataKaron Business Association made up of local hotel and resort owners organised an MOU signing afternoon to bring both public and private sectors together to pledge that they will achieve four major objectives over the coming year for the benefit of the environment and the local community, writes Andrew Wood.

Alongside Angkana Tanetvisetkul, president of KataKaron Business Association, some of the representatives from the 41 hotels & resorts, included Supaluck Damrongchuea from the Phuket Public Health Department and Montee Manator deputy director of The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket to sign the MOU.

During the afternoon a guest panel of Karen Hollier of TUI, Cagri Yildiz of Pegas, Montee Manator of TAT Phuket, Suwanya Tungpanya of STA Travel and Vincent Leutwiler of KHIRI Travel joined moderators Matt Hindmarch of AKSARA Collection and Angkana Tanetvisetkul President of KataKaron Business Association to discuss today’s expectations on sustainable tourism, new trends in travel plan decision making plus on how we can all join together on future activities as there is no competition when it comes to sustainable tourism. 

Objectives: 

• Reduce garbage generated by hotels, resorts, restaurants and the local community with various initiatives including the reduction of all plastics used in daily operations by 80% by the end of 2020.
• Make guest rooms in all hotels and resorts and our beaches (zoned) non-smoking.
• Encourage visitors to carry pieces of garbage back from their day on the beach and let hotels and resorts sort it
• Develop local community projects to encourage local restaurants to install grease traps and monitor the water being discharged from their outlets.

Participating member hotels and resorts signing the MOU

For more information please email: angkana@peachgroup.co.th