Southern tourism operators are calling for more government support and incentives for the green transition, as Phuket recently hosted an international sustainable tourism conference in a bid to create global recognition in this sector.
“The Middle East and the energy conflict create a great opportunity for operators to rethink their practices to make them more sustainable, which can also help them save on costs,” said Wichupan Phukaoluan Srisanya, president of the Thai Hotels Association’s southern chapter.
The Global Sustainable Tourism Conference 2026 was held in Phuket this week, joined by more than 580 delegates from 55 countries, strengthening the island’s positioning on sustainable tourism.
Ms Wichupan said that as tourism contributes the majority of the Andaman provinces’ GDP, the region is ready to be the pilot destination for green tourism in Thailand, especially as the private sector has been driving these policies for several years, involving both environmental and social impacts.
However, the public sector is unable to match sustainable transition demand, she noted.
The government should encourage more operators to enter the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating programme, which is considered among the most basic self-assessment sustainable tourism standards.
A three-star standard meets only three criteria of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Some smaller operators face obstacles related to high investment costs and complicated processes in obtaining advanced certifications.
Once these initial thresholds are met, higher level certifications can then be pursued, such as Green Hotel Plus or other standards accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
Thanawat Ongcharoen, the association’s vice-president, said the government has gradually improved support for green tourism to certain levels, such as the Energy Ministry’s tax reduction for utilising more efficient electricity appliances, but there is more to be done.
Despite the availability of plenty of green loans, the interest rate is not attractive enough to encourage businesses to invest in greener technology such as solar cells.
Mr Thanawat said licensed operators should access more benefits for sustainable investment, compared with unregistered operators.
“There should be more close collaboration between private and public sectors to write a roadmap for a sustainability journey, as well as consistent working,” he said.
SLOW TRANSITION
Randy Durband, chief executive of GSTC, said that Thailand is not the only place struggling with a slow green transition, but there are already efforts pushing hotels and tourism businesses to be more sustainable.
Mr Durband said that globally, only 1-2% of hotels and accommodation providers have received GSTC’s accreditation.
Research by global online travel agents in the last five years suggested that travellers want more sustainable trips.
For Thailand, tourism needs more cohesive management of different tourism standards, as there are too many standards offered by various organisations in the market, he said.
While top Thai hospitality brands such as Centara and Dusit have made progress in developing sustainability standards, small and independent hotels need more training support.
Overall knowledge training should be conducted more broadly across Thailand, as it does not require high costs, Mr Durband added.
He said the energy crisis could drive a greater green transition, as people look for new ways to reduce operating costs by adopting green technologies and practices.
Surasak Phancharoenworakul, the tourism and sports minister, said the government has placed sustainability at the core of the national development agenda.
He said Thailand is promoting clean energy and electric mobility, as well as developing a new carbon credit market and a more accessible capital programme for operators.
It is also encouraging tourism distribution towards secondary cities and less congested destinations.