Networking & Learning

Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Public Organization), DASTA for short, is working under the guidance of the Minister of tourism and Sport. Its main task consists of managing and developing cities for the purpose of sustainable tourism base on integration. The DASTA is the center of coordination between different sectors, supporting this country’s sustainable tourism through integration, and finally the organization is task with the responsibility of upgrading the “sustainable tourism designated areas” in order for them to be ready to apply for the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) under the cultural and creative tourism project, according to the National Strategy on tourism.

In 2018 DASTA has decided to prepare Sukhothai province, Nan province, and Suphanburi province for the application of Creative Cities Network. As a result, on the 31 October 2019 Sukhothai has been selected to become part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network as part of City of Crafts & Folk Arts, additionally Bangkok has been selected to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network on the category: City of Design. In 2019 only 66 cities from around the world has been selected as UNESCO Creative Cities Network. Under the Annual Budget of 2020 DASTA has decided to push Nan province, Suphanburi province, Chiang Rai province, and Phetchaburi province into becoming the next UNESCO Creative Cities.

Furthermore, DASTA has conducted additional activities to prepare Phetchaburi in order to join UNESCO Creative Cities, for example; creating an awareness and understanding on the idea of UNESCO Creative Cities, accepting the opinions of those who are involved with the city, creating a network that would connect all parties involved starting from the public to the private sectors, the communities, and the citizens of Phetchaburi, consistent with the various plans of Phetchaburi province. By 2021 Phetchaburi will be ready to apply for UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Targeted Province for UCCN Application according of the DASTA 2020 plan