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UNESCO and partners are delighted to announce the final installment of the popular South-East Asia seminar series, ‘Achieving Sustainable Tourism with Intangible Cultural Heritage and Creative City Promotion in Waterway Cities of ASEAN’. The final seminar, to be held in person and via webinar, in Bangkok, on Wed., 17 July 2024, will gather experts and the public to look closely and critically at the challenges facing an industry that continues to depend upon plastics in its daily operations, indeed precisely at a time when climate change and other factors are demanding a concerted and powerful response by the global travel industry.

The last seminar in the series, ‘Addressing the Challenge of Plastic Use in Travel: From Policy Formulation to Practical Application’, will focus on actionable strategies to reduce plastic usage within the tourism sector pf ASEAN countries, bringing into the same orbit official policy formulation and practical, concrete applications.

The umbrella project and its activities have been supported since mid-2023 by Thailand’s  (DASTA), ASEAN-Türkiye Cooperation, International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific (CRIHAP), , , and . By promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism practices and providing exemplary models for on-the-ground application, this project has aimed to contribute to the regional development of a growing industry and its potential to enhance the well-being of local economies and communities. To date, 91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ convened five dynamic seminars benefiting thousands of tourism professionals since its launch in September 2023.

This final seminar will be attended by leaders of the three primary partnering organizations of the project: the Culture Unit of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, DASTA and ONYX Hospitality Group. 

The seminar’s keynote addresses will be delivered by:

• Dr Chuwit Mitrchob, Deputy Director-General of DASTA, who will speak on ‘Policy Formulation for Reducing Plastic Use in Tourism’
• Noor Ahmad Hamid, CEO,  (PATA), speaking on ‘Practical Applications of Sustainable Practices in the Tourism Industry’

Following keynote presentations, a panel discussion will delve into promising innovations for plastic reduction, which are being explored by the private sector and civil society. Panellists include:

• Theerachai Suphametheekulwat, : Sharing insights on designing sustainable products and the importance of creative solutions in reducing plastic
• Catherine Germier Hamel, : Exploring effective plastic reduction policies and local initiatives in Cambodia, and sharing insights on how sustainable tourism can serve as a catalyst for local empowerment and development
• Zinaida Fadeeva, : Introducing the Plastic Free Toolkit for Tour Operators and discussing its application across different scales of business
• ONYX Hospitality Group: Discussing innovative sustainability initiatives implemented in their properties to reduce plastic usage, and detailing the impact of these practices on the hospitality industry

• Date: Wednesday, 17 July 2024
• Time: 13.30–16.30, Bangkok (GMT+7)

• Location: Amari Don Muang Airport Hotel, Bangkok

  To reserve a seat for on-site attendance, you can choose to

• To pre-register (required) for online attendance, visit .
• For more information, please visit the official project portal: 
• Watch the event's recording below.