The Phuket Hotels Association, a non-profit organisation that promotes and protects Thailand’s most visited island destination, is encouraging locals and tourists to value the beauty of Phuket’s world-renowned beaches and surrounding seas through Phuket Green Day, a comprehensive clean-up event on the morning of Wednesday 21st October 2020.Phuket Hotels Association’s Environmental & Sustainability Working Group is launching the island-wide initiative in support of Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism (PHIST), the annual high-energy environmental action event. It will see thousands of volunteers across the island unite to fight ocean and land pollution.
The Phuket event is fully supported and endorsed by the local government, along with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), US Embassy Bangkok, Australia Consulate in Phuket and member hotels, who are championing individual beaches by sponsoring equipment and supplies for volunteers.
Mr. Anthony Lark, President of the Phuket Hotels Association, will be joined by Phuket’s Governor, Khun Narong Woonciew, and the Director of the TAT’s Phuket Office, Khun Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, Mr. Evan Fox, Economic Officer, US Embassy, Bangkok and Mr. Matthew Barclay, Australia General-Consul in Phuket to officially open the event at Karon Beach. This is where the clean-up is being overseen by Phuket Hotels Association members from Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, Club Med Phuket, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, Kata Rocks Resort & Residences, Mövenpick Resort Karon Beach Phuket, The Boathouse Phuket and The Shore at Katathani.
Khun Boon Yongsakul, who is the Chairman of Boat Pattana Co. Ltd, explains how the clean-up fits with the ethos of the Boat Pattana and Phuket Hotels Association.
We are focused on three main areas: Phuket’s branding, local education and environmental protection. By cleaning up our beaches and land we are promoting Phuket as a global beach destination brand. We are also educating local communities, tourists and island businesses on the need to take care of the island’s natural assets, and we are preserving the environmental health of the ocean,” he says.
Plastic is choking the world’s seas and putting marine life in danger. Some 46,000 items of debris now occupy every square mile of ocean and plastic is found in 62% of all sea birds and 100% of sea turtle species tested after their demise.
The Phuket Hotels Association recognises the need for action and is lobbying local community groups, schools, residents, expatriates and tourists to join forces and clean up garbage from the beaches around the island before it reaches the sea.
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