Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization)

“Kung Bang Krachao and Damnoen Saduak Canal” – Destinations You Cannot Miss

          DASTA highlights “Kung Bang Krachao” as a model community-based tourism destination, while developing creative tourism activities along the Damoen Saduak Canal and the lower region of the Mae Klong River based on GSTC standards.
 

          Developing each tourist destination poses both similarities and differences due to community contexts. This fact, however, is not an obstacle for the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization), or DASTA – since the organization implements the standard of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC).

          Watcharee Churaksa, Assistant Director of DASTA, discloses the tourism management plan of communities in Kung Bang Krachao and the Damnoen Saduak Canal. According to the Assistant Director, DASTA has developed tourism routes in all six subdistricts based on the unique identities of each community. In Bang Koh Bua subdistrict, DASTA highlights the traditional lifestyle of the locals which heavily rely on the canal – as seen through activities such as marine almsgiving and boat parades. Song Kanong subdistrict, on the other hand, highlights the Mon culture and tradition via costumes, languages, and local cuisine. The communities are able to preserve their traditional lifestyle and project them through interesting tourist activities, which can be developed into creative tourism programs to create revenue for the locals. Examples of activities include the Swan and Centipede-Flag Parade (Mon Songkran Celebration) and the Mon “African Dream Herb” Games. The Kanlad Temple also holds a Mon Museum, which showcases ancient Mon utensils and the history of the ethnic group for the new generation to experience.
       

Miss Watcharee Churaksa

          Developing tourist routes to meet the demand of high-quality target markets requires identifying new core competencies of each community while reinforcing the existing strengths.

          The Damnoen Saduak Canal has plans for additional development, which was initially focused on the tourism route of “The Canal Lifestyle of Thai Locals – Following the Footsteps of the Royal Visit to Damnoen Canal.” Tourism development shall be expanded to reach Zone 4, Zone 5, and Zone 8. The Damnoen Saduak Canal has a length of 32.8 kilometers, with over 200 branch canals covering three provinces – Ban Paew district, Samut Sakhon province; Damnoen Saduak district, Ratchaburi province; and Bang Khon Tee distruct, Samut Songkhram province.

          Watcharee also stated that this year’s tourism development in Kung Bang Krachao shall cover the following two dimensions

          1. Developing each tourist destination under the principles of sustainable management, implemented by the public sector, private sector, and civil sector according to the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destination (GSTC-D). The objective is to implement an integrated approach to sustainable tourism destination management.

          2. Developing Kung Bang Krachao, the model community-based tourism destination. DASTA expects positive feedback in many areas, such as a greater understanding and appreciation of sustainable tourism management based on GSTC-D principles by all parties. Moreover, organizations in various sectors shall collaborate and integrate mechanisms to drive plans and campaigns for sustainable tourism development. These efforts lead to new and effective tourism products which are capable of meeting the current and future market demand.

          The “Chang Kao, Chan Wan” signature cuisine of Kung Bang Krachao has been developed into tourism products renowned by domestic and foreign tourists, increasing the number of visitors in the area seeking to experience the local gastronomy.
 

          The Damoen Saduak Canal and the lower region of the Mae Klong River are undergoing development to become creative tourism destinations based on GSTC standards. The communities are applying more effective management mechanisms. Communities in Zone 4, Zone 5, and Zone 8 have a greater knowledge and understanding of sustainable tourism, development processes, and DASTA’s community-based tourism development tools. DASTA’s involvement has led to the establishment of community-based tourism associations and a higher number of effective local storytellers capable of enriching the tourists’ experiences and incentivizing them to revisit the communities.