Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization)

DASTA signed MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism with Department of Tourism of Bhutan and Tourism Authority of Thailand

            On 26 June 2024, Gp. Cpt. Athikun Kongmee, Director-General of DASTA attened the Signing Ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Department of Tourism, Royal Government of Bhutan (DoTr), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization) or DASTA, Royal Thai Government. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan, and H.E. Srettha Thavisin, Prime Minister of Thailand as honorable witnesses. This event was held during the Bhutanese Prime Minister's official visit to Thailand at Santi Maitri Building, Government House, Bangkok.

            The MoU's objective is to support the operations of respective organizations that are in line with economic recovery policies on tourism of both countries' governments. This MoU also resulted in the establishment of the Toursim Working Group between Thailand and Bhutan with objectives to drive forwards activities under the MoU, to promote and raise tourism awareness amongts tourists, and to support both countries' sustainable tourism and high-quality tourism. 

            On DASTA's side, it will support on the development of collaboration for community-based tourism (CBT), tourism management, knowledge exchange on sustainable tourism development, and sustainable tourism destination models with emphasize on the participation of local communities of both countries. 

            Moreover, the signing of this MoU is also the starting point of the elevation of CBT with emphasize on participation of local community and the exchage of knowledge in the context of similarities and differences between both countries, from the lessons learned to the CBT development at the international level. DASTA will also incoperate lessons learned from its application of Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) in sustainable tourism development model within its destinations in this cooperation as well.