Sustainable Highlights

Currently, community based tourism in Thailand is growing continuously, due to increasing interest from both Thai and foreign tourists. As a result, tourism by communities began to be preferred in the tourism industry in Thailand.

Most tourists are impressed and satisfied with the tourist attractions, culture, traditions, food and hospitality of the community at a good level. However, the quality of homestay, such as cleanliness of mattresses, pillow, linen and bathrooms, does not meet standard. This issue is considered a disadvantage in community based tourism.

Based on the said problem, "Happy Home Happy Stay, Comfy Resting – Happy Junket" project was established by the collaboration between The Erawan Group Public Company Limited and Local Alike Company Limited. With the purposes of

1. To support the promotion of community based tourism through the development and upgrading of homestays in the community to meet quality standards
2. To support sustainable development of tourism by communities for communities itself.

In 2020, the company joined hands with Government Savings Bank (GSB) in the GSB Smart Homestay project by awarding and sharing knowledge with Ban Nong Khao, Ta Muang District, Kanchanaburi Province and Ban Mung Nua, Nern Ma Prang District, Phitsanulok Province. In addition, bedsheets from selected hotels within the group were distributed to six participating communities in the project.

In 2019 the company collaborated with AirAsia on Journey D Project, which the objective to promote and develop sustainable tourism. AirAsia concentrated on developing activities for tourist, community products and marketing, while The Erawan focused on developing service standards and management of homestay such as housekeeping, hospitality and registration.

We firmly believe that to facilitate accommodation for tourists,but maintaining the identity of the community will help attracting tourists and generate more income to community. The core method to sustainable growth is to support community to learn and develop by the members in community. There are 4 communities participated in the project, which are Pha Mee community, Chiang Rai Province, Khok Mueang Community, Buri Ram Province, Ban Koh Klang Community, Krabi Province and Promlok Community, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province.

2018 The company selected Ban Laem Community, in Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province to be a pilot community of "Happy Home Happy Stay, Comfy Resting – Happy Junket" project because the community has potentials for tourism such as beautiful marine attractions, a unique community way of life and outstanding activities like mud spa. The company has worked with the community to apply the knowledge of accommodation and service management in accordance with the hotel standards to be fit to the community.

1. Physical aspect: improve place and supplied necessary equipment and linen in order to have a community ready for management in term of cleanliness, hygienic, comfort and safety
2. Personnel aspect: organize training activities for knowledge about hotel service standards and housekeeping such as guest reception & registration, accounting, method of cleaning, how to make bed and bedroom set up. The training aims to prepare the villagers to have good service but maintain the identity of the community.
3. Standardization the feedback from tourists is one of the indicators to keep standards. Conducting customer satisfaction surveys through QR codes is important for monitoring and apply the outcome of surveys to further improvement.
4. Support community products, expand sales channels for the Ban Laem community products to gain wider awareness. The company has introduced skin care products from sea mud by making a gift set to give to our customers during the Songkran festival. Moreover, we help advertising Ban Laem community trip details in Hop Inn Nakhon Si Thammarat to draw attention of hotel guests