Pattaya City Background Information
Pattaya City is located on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. It is approximately 100 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. There are several natural and cultural attractions. Attractions include beaches, Pattaya Hill, Chaloem Phra Kiat Park, Pattaya Walking Street, Koh Larn, Takhian Tia Community, Chak Ngaew Community, theme parks, and more.
Additionally, Pattaya has quick access to and from Bangkok. Therefore, Pattaya has become a well-known tourist destination in Thailand. According to data from the Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism & Sports, Pattaya had over 9 million visitors in 2015. Respectively, 91% of the local labour force are working in the tourism industry.
Pattaya City Administration and DASTA
In 2008, Pattaya City Administration invited the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) to be a center organization in Pattaya’s stakeholder coordination group. This group would help conserving the environment, developing quality of life for the local people. It would also work on ensuring the city becomes a world class destination.
Global Sustainable Tourism Council Overview
The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) is the world’s leading authority in setting standards for sustainable travel and tourism. It was created in collaboration by the United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation), United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Rainforest Alliance, with support of governments and companies.
To date, the GSTC has developed two global standards—the GSTC Standards for Industry and the GSTC Standards for Destinations. The GSTC Destinations Program provides tourism destinations with tools to evaluate, monitor and improve sustainability in their tourism management.
Destination Assessment Details
The GSTC Destinations Assessor, Dr. Mihee Kang conducted an onsite assessment of Pattaya and two villages in Chonburi Province during April 3 – 7, 2018. The assessment was funded and facilitated by DASTA. DASTA is a public Thai organization that works towards sustainable tourism developments in Thailand. Additionally, Pattaya asked members from the Natural Resources and Environmental Management Research and Training Center (NREMC) of Mae Fah Luang University to participate as a liaison, in the assessment.
Initially, there was a period of desk preparation. It consisted of stakeholder mapping and a review of relevant documents. The key stakeholders for Pattaya included government authorities, local communities, local businesses, and others. In total, the GSTC assessor consulted approximately 9 stakeholder groups during the evaluation period. After this was completed, the destination’s policies and practices were reviewed against GSTC’s Standards for Destinations and Performance Indicators.
Key Takeaways and Results
The assessment results show that Pattaya has a high level of risk in sustainability. It requires urgent action to address the identified risks. Environmental management is the most urgent priority, and the development of a comprehensive visitor management system is also a key need.
The GSTC urges Pattaya to review existing plans and regulations from all perspectives, including environmental, socio-cultural, and economic sustainability. Finally, Chonburi Province has made steady progress and continues to hold regular meetings with the business sector to stay on track with sustainable improvements.
