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Phuket commits to a plastic-free future
Tourism leaders on the Thai island of Phuket have joined forces to make a pledge to end single use plastics.
More than 500 professionals from hotels and tour companies gathered at the Phuket Hotels for Islands Sustaining Tourism Forum 2018 (PHIST) where they committed to the ‘Phuket Pledge.’
This calls for the reduction, reuse and recycling of single-use plastic in Phuket, with the ultimate aim of eliminating them from all hotels and resorts.
Stakeholders will also get involved in local community education programmes to raise awareness.
"The industry is finally waking up to this issue, but we need coordination and action to make a tangible change and see results. This is what we hope PHIST will go a long way to achieving," said Six Senses Hotels Resorts and Spas president Bernhard Bohnenberger.
PHIST is backed by the Thai ministry of sports and tourism and was also attended by tourism leaders from other ASEAN countries.
"We need to fight for Phuket. It is as simple as that and we can’t do it alone. We need to do it together," said Phuket Hotel Association president, Anthony Lark.
"We hope the Phuket Pledge will be a start and ultimately become a model for us and other islands regionally to come together for the sake of sustainable island tourism in Asia."
PHIST featured a number of experts focusing on marine conservation, tourism sustainability, youth education and community tourism.
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