Central Pattana Plc (CPN), the real estate developer and operator of Central malls, has partnered with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to promote sustainable tourism in Thailand's second-tier cities and foster prosperity within local communities.
Nattakit Tangpoonsinthana, CPN's head of marketing, said the company is allocating 400 million baht towards initiatives that support community development and local prosperity, employing a "sustainable tourism ecosystem" strategy. The strategy aims to leverage the strengths of Central shopping centres throughout the country as travel destinations to promote high-quality and sustainable tourism.
The company has introduced the "Go Local, Love Local" campaign to facilitate the connection between tourists and communities. Under the campaign, CPN is collaborating with local agencies and tourism startups to design travel routes that delve deeper into the local culture compared to previous approaches. In some provinces, new checkpoints would be established.
Initially the campaign will be piloted in four provinces: Nakhon Si Thammarat, offering the allure of "Dharma, Nature and Culture"; Ayutthaya, inviting visitors to experience the ancient city from a fresh perspective; Ubon Ratchathani, showcasing the enchantment of the four southern lights of Isan; and Chanthaburi, welcoming travellers to indulge in the renowned tourist city. This strategy would subsequently be expanded to encompass other second-tier cities where CPN operates.
CPN currently operates 38 shopping complexes across Thailand, including nine in second-tier cities such as Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan and Chiang Rai. Over the next five years, the total number of Central shopping complexes under CPN is set to reach 50. Additionally, CPN plans to expand its hotel portfolio to cover 27 provinces within the same timeframe, thereby enhancing the local tourism ecosystem.
According to Mr Nattakit, the selected second-tier cities for promotion must possess easy accessibility, as well as offering a diverse range of products and services within their communities.
"We are pushing forward Thailand's sustainable tourism ecosystem because the tourism industry plays a significant role in the retail business," he said. "Central shopping centres not only serve as destinations that complete the community tourism ecosystem but also promote cross-regional tourism by utilising their nationwide network to create added value. This approach encourages tourists to spend more during their visits, thus contributing to income distribution within local communities."
Moreover, CPN aims to extract the unique essence or so-called DNA of secondary cities by collaborating with local communities to organise captivating events throughout the year.
"With our network of entrepreneurs, communities and government agencies such as the TAT as well as startups and travel agencies, we believe this can help foster collaboration across the entire tourism value chain," Mr Nattakit said.
Thapanee Kiatphaibool, deputy governor for domestic marketing at the TAT, said that the partnership with CPN would help TAT achieve its target of 135 million Thai tourist trips this year.