Community homestay fair to be held in Phuket Town

PHUKET: The ‘IMT-GT (Indonesia Malaysia Thailand – Growth Triangle) Homestay Fair 2016’ will be held from September 20-22, Tourism and Sports permanent secretary Pongpanu Svetarundra announced on Thursday.

A community homestay is a means for travellers to visit countries, live within a community and participate in the local lifestyle.

The aim of the event is to develop local community and culture.

“The fair will be held at Limelight Avenue and will cover local tourism entrepreneurs from 14 southern provinces,” said Mr Pongpanu. “Representatives from each community will be able to exchange their ideas in terms of their own homestay tourism activities.”

Phuket vice governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul says that southern provinces have diverse tourism cultures.

“The popular homestay communities in Koh Yao in Phang Nga, Baan Pitak in Chumphon, Boh Ked Look in Satun and Laemsak in Krabi are good examples of local cultures surviving and thriving in modern times,” he told the Phuket Gazette.

“The homestay event will further strengthen these communities and will help us compete with neighboring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia,” says Sirawee Waloh, director of the Phuket office of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

— Sukawin Tanthavanich