Delegates from the world over were warmly welcomed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to the northern city of Chiang Rai for the PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2025 at a dinner hosted at Singha Park Chiang Rai on Tuesday, 2nd December.
Guests were welcomed with live performances of traditional Thai music and dance, as well as specialities showing off the best of Lanna culinary heritage through local ingredients and flavours.
Gracing the event were PATA chair Peter Simone, chief executive Noor Ahmad Hamid, and officials from Thailand's Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) which is co-hosting the Forum.
Likewise, plaques of appreciation were given by PATA to TAT, DASTA, as well as the provincial government of Chiang Rai for their support for PDMF 2025.
More than a Creative City of Design
In his welcome remarks, TAT executive director for the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa Santi Sawangcharoen spoke on how appropriate Chiang Rai is as the host city for this year's PDMF.
He said that Chiang Rai isn't just a city of beauty and tradition, but also a proud member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a Creative City of Design.
Sawangcharoen declared: "This evening marks the beginning of what I believe will be an inspiring and memorable forum under the theme Steeped in Tradition, Rooted in Wellness: Weaving the Meaningful Narrative of Travel. This perfectly reflects the essence of Chiang Rai as a province that harmoniously blends cultures of depth, natural serenity, and creative innovation."
He concluded by pointing out how Thailand continues to be deeply committed to promoting value-based and sustainable tourism that benefits not just travellers, but also local communities.
