CHIANG RAI – Ban Pha Mee in Chiang Rai has earned international recognition for community-based tourism. On 27 September 2025, DASTA submitted the Akha community’s project, From Roots to the Future: Revitalizing Akha Culture and Community Economy through Community-Based Tourism in Ban Pha Mee Community. The entry highlights local culture, mountain life, and nature, and shows how tourism can support a living heritage.
The project won runner-up in the Community, Government and Service Companies Projects category at the Skal International Sustainable Tourism Awards 2025. The top award in this category went to Mdluli Safari Lodge from South Africa.
There were 20 entries from 12 countries in the same category. Thailand received one award across the eight award categories, where only two prizes are given in each category: winner and runner-up. This result is a proud milestone for Thailand and for Chiang Rai’s specially designated area for sustainable tourism.
Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Director of the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration, said DASTA selected Ban Pha Mee in 2025 as a model Akha cultural community within the newly declared Chiang Rai special area, announced in 2022. The focus is on eco and cultural tourism with long-term benefits for people and the place.
The submission showed how the community uses tourism to protect and carry forward Akha traditions. It also supports nature conservation, raises environmental awareness, and strengthens the local economy. The work brings together community members, government agencies, and partner networks to build a fair and steady tourism system.
Judges commended the clear cultural pride and identity of the Akha community. They also praised the shift from opium cultivation to sustainable agriculture and responsible tourism. The project fits the category well, since it operates as a community enterprise with DASTA acting as a government mentor. The panel encouraged the community to deepen youth participation, pass on cultural knowledge, and grow young leadership in tourism.
DASTA plans to continue building the community’s capacity and align with higher international standards. Skal International, founded in 1932 in France and headquartered in Spain, is a global network of tourism professionals with a strong focus on sustainability. The organization has run the Skal International Sustainable Tourism Awards since 2002 to highlight outstanding sustainable tourism work worldwide.
The 2025 awards were announced at the 84th Skal International World Congress in Cusco, Peru, on 26 September 2025, local time. The result reflects ongoing progress in developing Thailand’s designated areas and lifting local destinations to global benchmarks. DASTA will keep advancing in other special areas to compete for national and international honours in the years ahead.
