UNESCO Creative City is a grand project initiated by UNESCO, together with Natural World Heritage Sites and Historical World Heritage Sites. Starting in 2004, the project aims to support the creative industry and further international cooperation between the citizens, private sector, and government sector under the name “Creative City”. The project focuses on creating a city through developing the environment, social structure, economical structure, as well as utilising cultural assets, historical assets, and local tradition as a whole. The project’s goal is to further the cooperation into an international level while sustainably improving the culture in order to emphasise the value of culture and the creative industry for improving local communities through various activities that connect cities around the world; ultimately proceeding towards the goal that will directly benefit local communities.

Group Captain Athikhun Khongmi, Director of the Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), announced that UNESCO has recognised Phetchaburi as the 2021 Creative City of Gastronomy. Phetchaburi is 1 of 49 cities all over the world added to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). In Thailand, Phetchaburi is the fifth province to receive the honour, following Phuket (2015), Chiang Mai (2017), Sukhothai, and Bangkok (2019). Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, designated DASTA to be in charge of the mission that would improve Thailand’s cities and attractions’ potential to be accepted with an international standard.

 

Emphasise the City of the Three Tastes

Phetchaburi is currently working on a roadmap to develop the city in 5 years (2022-2027) under the guideline of UNESCO Creative City by furthering the city’s identity of “the City of the Three Tastes” - a name granted to the city for being the largest source of production in Thailand of salt, palmyra palm sugar, and lime; all of which are a part of the local dishes’ ingredients - that utilises local ingredients to create various dishes and desserts. Apart from its cuisine, Phetchaburi is also outstanding in terms of history, culture, and lifestyle. The roadmap will focus on open cooperation from all the related sectors to drive the plans, local campaigns, and national campaigns that will benefit the city’s development, as well as supporting knowledge exchanges with other Creative Cities at the international level. The province aims to publicise the Phetchaburi roadmap to be ready for submitting a monitoring report within 4 years and further this development into improving the designated areas for sustainable tourism.

The success is due to the support from DASTA who has taken part in driving and supporting the concept of the Phetchaburi Creative City, by working together with the government sector, private sector, and local communities, from suggesting the concept to studying the city’s readiness, from designating the development direction to spreading awareness that leads to cooperation that connects every related sector through the committee of driving the city to be a UNESCO Creative City in order to achieve the goal of becoming the Creative City Network in 2021.

 

 

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