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The 2007 Thailand Tourism Awards is a special edition of the biennial tourism awards programme initiated by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in 1996. These new awards are being launched as a tribute in honour of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, of Thailand on the auspicious occasion of His Majesty’s 80th birthday anniversary in December 2007. The awards presentation ceremony was held on 13 December 2007. |
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The Thailand Tourism Award is Thailand's 'Hallmark of Excellence' — a symbol of assurance in the outstanding quality and reliability of tourism products and services offered by a particular organization, operator or community. The distinguished awards recognize the finest achievements and outstanding contributions to Thai tourism. They honour innovation and creativity in the fields of sustainable tourism, conservation and environmental protection. |
The two award categories featured in the 2007 Thailand Tourism Awards are The Most Outstanding Community-based Tourism Award and The Most Outstanding Green Leaf Hotel/Resort Award. These recognize outstanding contributions by an environmentally-friendly hotel or resort property. Both awards are designed to promote the conservation of the country’s precious natural and cultural resources and support sustainable tourism development in tandem with the quality development of the Thai tourism industry.
Sustainable community-based tourism is valued for its effectiveness in channelling tourism revenue to grassroots communities, thereby alleviating rural poverty. Evaluations for The Most Outstanding Community-based Tourism Award were made based on site inspections and observations, one-on-one interviews with judges and, in some cases, the conduct of focus groups. Out of a total of 183 entires received, a total of 62 communities were selected as winners.
Winners of The Most Outstanding Community-based Tourism Award
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Winners of the 2007 Thailand Tourism Awards Most Outstanding Green Leaf Hotel/Resort Award are keen advocates of nature and environmental conservation. All 41 winners in this award category have demonstrated their commitment to environmental conservation through the implementation of a stringent in-house programme that fosters environmentally-friendly practices, such as the efficient use of energy and water, water management, recycling, proper waste management, and policies that favour the purchase of products and services from equally committed environmentally-friendly companies.
This new award category is being introduced with the support of the Green Leaf Foundation. Officially registered in 1998, the Green Leaf Foundation's founding partners are TAT, the Thai Hotels Association (THA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), Metropolitan Waterworks Authority (MWA) and Association for the Development of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
Under the Green Leaf Programme for Hotels initiated by the Green Leaf Foundation, participating hotels and resorts are evaluated on initiatives and activities undertaken by individual properties in each of the following areas: policy and standards on environmental practice; waste management; the efficient use of energy and water; environmentally-friendly products purchase; indoor air quality; air pollution; noise pollution; water quality; recycling; the storage and management of fuel, gas, and toxic waste; ecological impact; cooperation with community and local organizations/community relations; communication; management support and training.
Winners of The Most Outstanding Green Leaf Hotel/Resort Award
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It is hoped that the introduction of both of these new award categories recognizing outstanding contribution to the Thai tourism industry in community-based tourism and the promotion of environmentally-friendly best practices will serve as an inspiration for others to further Thailand’s quest in sustainable tourism development and environmental conservation and protection.
The 2007 Thailand Tourism Awards also recognized and honoured four veteran tour operators, each a pioneer of the Thai tourism industry — World Travel Service Ltd., SEA Tours Co.,Ltd. and Educational Travel Center Ltd., Part for inbound tourism and N.S. Travel & Tours Co., Ltd. for domestic tourism.
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