Sapphaya, Green Destination Top 100 Thailand.

Many people wonder about the sign with a round, green logo and the text "Top 100 Green Destination" near the old accommodation market in our community of Sapphaya. What does it signify ?

ก่อนอื่นเลย ต้องขอชวนมาทำความรู้จัก Green Destination 

Green Destinations Top 100 stories have been organized since 2014. What they do is inspire tourism stakeholders, tour companies, and travelers who seek quality of experiences to collectively create sustainable world-level tourism destinations.

Every year, around 200 destinations worldwide are selected for evaluation. From these, only 100 are chosen as sustainable destinations or declared as "Green Destinations" for that particular year.

The evaluation criteria are based on either 15 or 30 aspects. The working group evaluates the level of sustainability in the original form of tourism destinations according to the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria (GSTC-D), developed by global tourism experts within the framework of sustainable development policy by UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization).   

For each annual evaluation, the Green Destination Foundation in the Netherlands conducts assessments in collaboration with the World's Largest Travel Trade Show, ITB (International Tourism Exchange Berlin), in Germany. This event showcases nearly every country's tourism and features the Top 100 Green Destination winners.

So, what does the sign in front of Sapphaya old accommodation market indicate? It signifies that our community has been declared as one of the "Top 100 Green Destinations 2022” (Buddhist Era 2565).  100 ของ Green Destinations ในปี ค.ศ. 2022 (พ.ศ.2565)

To become a Top 100 Green Destination, the working group needs to prepare various data to clarify the procedures for achieving sustainable tourism:

To become a Top 100 Green Destination, the working group needs to prepare various data to clarify the procedures for achieving sustainable tourism:

• Data about satisfaction from tourists and resident communities.
• Information about sustainable development processes, requiring coordination among stakeholders, well-defined roles, and clear operational structures.
• Listings of ongoing improvements in tourism assets available for public use.
• Sustainable tourism policies with measurable and actionable plans.
• Plans to conserve landscapes, prevent degradation, reduce waste, limit plastic usage, with reports on goals and efforts to eliminate single-use plastics in tourism.
• "Reducing energy consumption in the tourism sector, measures employed, and efficient energy usage planning
•  Cultural heritage information that can be grasped and preserved.

All this information is crucial. However, practical implementation matters the most. This report will be used by the Green Destination Foundation for further considerations.  Green Destination Foundation  for further considerations.

To become a Green Destinations Top 100 stories นั้น  All this information is crucial. However, practical implementation matters the most. This report will be used by the Green Destination Foundation for further considerations.

The success of Sapphaya being one of the Green Destinations Top 100 stories is a result of collaborative efforts involving municipal bodies, working groups, community leaders, and various networks. It involves constant data collection, result documentation, and focuses on development based on the pre-set indicators.

โดยมีThis collective effort enables the sustainable development of Sapphaya, driven by shared learning and strong leadership, aiming for continuous development and unified goal-setting, including the sacrifices made by leaders, employees, government officials, teachers, and community leaders. Together, they aim to develop Sapphaya into a national prototype for sustainable tourism, turning it into a globally recognized Green Destination.

We are prepared to inspire many other destinations in Thailand to become sustainable tourism spots, increasing their number in the coming years.

Best wishes to all the tourism destinations!