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The Phuket Hotels Association (PHA) reports that the Phuket Hotels for Island Sustaining Tourism (PHIST) 2024 held last 2nd September at the Angsana Laguna Phuket was a great success.
Drawing in over 1,300 delegates, 66 expert speakers, and nearly 60 sponsors and exhibitors, PHIST 2024 was easily one of the largest sustainability-centric events in Thailand, if not the Asian region.
Also, the event garnered around 18 million reactions across major social networks through its duration.
The event was organised by the PHA, together with co-founding partners C9 Hotelworks and Greenview. The event was likewise supported by the American Chamber of Commerce Thailand (AMCHAM), QUO, Creative Concept AV Thaiger Media, Brand TD and Delivering Asia Communications.
Sustainability from the top
PHIST 2024 centred on the theme One on One: Sustainability from the Top. Talks and sessions held during the event focussed on how senior company executives could successfully build a forward-thinking corporate culture and drive positive change, not only within their own companies, but across the entire industry and beyond.
PHA co-founding partner and C9 Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett pointed out that, like its predecessors, PHIST 2024 is primarily a learning experience that opens the eyes of industry professionals for the need to consider the environment and communities in their operations.
Barnett said: “We are excited to broaden the learning experience this year and establish ourselves as a leading regional platform for the industry to educate themselves about not only positive social and environmental change [and how they can contribute to it,] but also learn how this can have a positive impact on their bottom line.”
The need for a master plan
At this year’s event, tourism leaders called for an urgent sustainable development master plan in Thailand’s idyllic island destinations.
This was in light of the way both over-development and over-tourism have become global issues, prompting mass action as in the case of Spain and stricter government regulations as in the case of Bali.
However, as Thailand braces for 80 million international visitors by 2027, the threat of over-tourism and extensive development could lead to an unprecedented environmental crisis, one with a highly adverse effect on the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Experts present at the event pointed out he lack of a coordinated plan that integrates environmental solutions into infrastructure development could have a disastrous impact on Thai destinations in the foreseeable future.
A matter of green leadership
Peng Sum Choe, CEO of Pan Pacific Hotels Group, headlined this year’s forum.
Peng guided his company towards integrating sustainability into every aspect of its operations, leading to its attainment of Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Multi-Site certification for all eight of its properties in Singapore.
Peng said of his stint at PHIST 2024: “I am grateful for the opportunity to address my industry colleagues at PHIST. Sustainability is a crucial issue, particularly for island communities, making this event an important platform for collaboration.”
The Pan Pacific CEO was joined in his talk by STR’s senior director for the Asia Pacific Jesper Palmqvist who spoke about the critical need for green leadership in the global hospitality sector.
PHA executive director Jayne MacDougall was also on hand to present the Green Planet School Farm Project. This vital initiative seeks to empower a new generation of organic producers, as well as leaders with a head and heart for the environment.
MacDougall said: “It’s time to plant the seeds of change, and where better to start than with education and at an early age? This is what we are striving to do with Green Planet by introducing green farming to schools throughout Phuket.”
A hero speaks
Green activist Andrew Dixon also spoke at PHIST 2024, going one-on-on with Delivering Asia founder David Johnson as they discussed four key pillars of sustainability: conservation, culture, community, and commerce.
Dixon, who owns two Indonesian island resorts, presented the audience with a broad-spanning sustainability platform that takes all four pillars into consideration. He also shared his experiences in terms of micro-financing and cultural integration.
The expert also spoke of the founding of a school currently populated by more than 600 students that provides vital support and development systems that go much further than the usual tree planting and the banning of single use plastics.
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