Pattaya: A Role Model for “Tourism for All”
DASTA office 3 is working on making “Pattaya” a tourist attraction for all. The organization is aiming to turn “Takhian Tia Community” into a “friendly design” or “universal design” tourist destination which will facilitate everyone, regardless of their ages, genders, and body conditions.
Mr. Sutarak Sunthornwipat, manager of the designated area office 3 (DASTA office 3) under the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization) or DASTA, has revealed that DASTA office 3 is in the middle of a process to build an awareness among people to see an importance of the friendly design. DASTA also focuses on creating a participation and providing knowledge about the friendly design to people, hotel entrepreneurs, entertainment and tourist spots as well as staff members of related government agencies. Once everyone has realized the importance of the friendly design, areas in the communities will be improved and adjusted, making them be able to fairly and equally cater to the needs of all tourists, regardless of their ages and genders.
DASTA is going to develop the tourist attractions in Pattaya and other connecting areas to become role models for the “Tourism for All” concept. To achieve this, DASTA will encourage business establishments, entertainment spots, and tourist attractions to improve their areas and install facilities according to the modern universal designs so that people of all ages, genders, and body conditions, can access and utilize services with convenience and safety. Additionally, the implementation of the friendly design to the areas and facilities will help create a sustainable tourism and add more economic values to the country.
“The reasons why we apply the sustainable tourism to develop the communities and tourist attractions are that we would like to create happiness for Thai people and lessen the economic and social disparities which are in consistent with the government policies. Also, to emphasize DASTA’s direction to develop the “Tourism for All” concept, we have been following a point no. A8 of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) under the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) which mentions about “providing everyone an access to tourist attractions and facilities” to prepare for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Once this is accomplished, Pattaya will become a friendly designed tourist attraction of Thailand,” Mr. Sutarak added.
Below are 4 operating policies in the fiscal year 2021:
1. Coordinating with a team in order to make Pattaya become a model for the “Tourism for All” concept. Regular meetings are held to keep track on a progress of the development plan.
2. Arranging a trial “Tourism for All” travel program in Na Kluea and Pattaya Beach areas to see whether these areas are suitable and possible to bring in groups of tourists with disabilities to travel or not. Also, a reporting on the trial results and development plans for the friendly design in the tourist attractions will need to be done and submitted to related agencies for further developments.
3. Organizing workshops and field trips to provide knowledge and create understanding about the friendly design standards to government officers in the designated area 3 so that they can apply the knowledge in the designs of the infrastructure and use it to improve services to be able to facilitate the needs of everyone.
4. Developing and encouraging “Takhian Tia Community” to be a role model of friendly designed community. Facilities that should be provided in the friendly designed communities are sightseeing vehicles that can accommodate wheelchairs, wheelchair ramps inside the tourist attractions, toilets for disabled persons, and activities fit for all groups of the tourists. Examples of these activities include disc golf, cooking classes, pandan leave folding, and making colorful paper hanging mobiles.
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