ABOUT 70 Phuket businesspeople, trainees and media met this week to form a marketing cooperative to promote island brands and services.
The meeting followed a four-day workshop at All Seasons Nai Harn Phuket, the first step in a program designed to inject local products and protect local jobs in alternative package tour operations.
Already on offer are local package tours to one of the most beautiful islands close to Phuket, Koh Lon, the mangroves, fisheries and crabs at Rassada, and Pak Lok, where visitors can see batik being made and take sea canoe trips.
The workshop showed off local products from local people so others in the network could appreciate the quality and seek new markets.
The cooperative network has the support of the Hilfswerk Austria Foundation and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative.
The Phuket Cooperative, and the local Provincial Centre for Tourism, Sport and Recreation of Phuket, led by Promchote Traivate, is doing a lot of the organising.
All Seasons has taken on the concept and will continue with support.
Accor representatives attended the meeting, along with Travel Trade.
Vice Governor Vorapoj Rattaseema showed a keen interest and awarded certificates to about 55 local trainees in the travel industry.
The network covers Rawai, Rassada and Pak Lok and involves 10 local community groups.
People wishing to connect to the network should contact the Hilfswerk Australia Foundation on 076 235165 or Tourism and Sport on 076 217054.
The meeting followed a four-day workshop at All Seasons Nai Harn Phuket, the first step in a program designed to inject local products and protect local jobs in alternative package tour operations.
Already on offer are local package tours to one of the most beautiful islands close to Phuket, Koh Lon, the mangroves, fisheries and crabs at Rassada, and Pak Lok, where visitors can see batik being made and take sea canoe trips.
The workshop showed off local products from local people so others in the network could appreciate the quality and seek new markets.
The cooperative network has the support of the Hilfswerk Austria Foundation and the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative.
The Phuket Cooperative, and the local Provincial Centre for Tourism, Sport and Recreation of Phuket, led by Promchote Traivate, is doing a lot of the organising.
All Seasons has taken on the concept and will continue with support.
Accor representatives attended the meeting, along with Travel Trade.
Vice Governor Vorapoj Rattaseema showed a keen interest and awarded certificates to about 55 local trainees in the travel industry.
The network covers Rawai, Rassada and Pak Lok and involves 10 local community groups.
People wishing to connect to the network should contact the Hilfswerk Australia Foundation on 076 235165 or Tourism and Sport on 076 217054.
