The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has named Bangkok and Sukhothai among 66 new ‘Creative Cities’ worldwide, doubling the number of UNESCO Creative Cities in Thailand to a total of four.
According to the latest designation, Bangkok has been officially named a ‘Creative City of Design,’ with the historic city of Sukhothai joining Chiang Mai as a ‘Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art’. Last year, Phuket was also named ‘Creative City of Gastronomy.’
“We are very pleased to receive this second round of Creative City designation from UNESCO with Sukhothai and Bangkok joining Chiang Mai and Phuket,” said TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn. “We hope that this is only the beginning as TAT continues to highlight emerging destinations around Thailand, as we expand our sustainable tourism development agenda to all four corners of the Kingdom,” he continued.
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now totals 246 cities worldwide. Covering many continents and spanning various cultural divides, the network is intended to foster commonality and facilitate sharing among nations. Its mission is to place creativity and the creative economy at the core of urban development plans, thereby helping to make cities safe, resilient, inclusive and sustainable, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
“All over the world, these cities, each in its own way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” said UNESCO Director-General Mrs. Audrey Azoulay in UNESCO’s announcement. “This favours political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generation,” added the Director-General.
As TAT prepares to mark its 60th anniversary in 2020, they are putting sustainability ‘front and centre’ in their plans for the future. “TAT will continue to focus on promoting responsible tourism, in-line with UNESCO sustainable development goals,” says Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn.
“We want to ensure that Thailand’s tourism sector continues to grow from strength to strength as the TAT champions environmental sustainability and cultural vibrancy that positions Thailand as a sustainable destination for many generations to come.”
