Bangkok, 7 November, 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is delighted that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated Bangkok and Sukhothai among 66 new ‘Creative Cities, thus bringing the total number of UNESCO Creative Cities in Thailand to four.
UNESCO announced on 30 October that Bangkok was designated as a ‘Creative City of Design’ and Sukhothai as a ‘Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art’. The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now totals 246 cities, including Phuket which was named a ‘Creative City of Gastronomy’ in 2015 while Chiang Mai was named a ‘Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art’ in 2017.
TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said, “We are very pleased to receive this second round of Creative City designation from UNESCO with Sukhothai and Bangkok joining Chiang Mai and Phuket. 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.”
UNESCO has still not set up new pages on Bangkok and Sukhothai on its website, but pages for Thailand, Phuket and Chang Mai are available.
According to UNESCO, the member cities that make up the network are on all continents and regions with different income levels and populations. They work together towards a common mission: placing creativity and the creative economy at the core of their urban development plans 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.”
This latest UNESCO recognition also puts sustainability at the heart of everything TAT does, as it gears up to mark its 60th anniversary in 2020.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said, “Next year, TAT will continue to focus on promoting ‘responsible tourism’ putting sustainability front and centre in line with UNESCO sustainable development goals. “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.”
