At a time when many tourism accolades celebrate luxury resorts, record passenger counts, or viral marketing campaigns, the Responsible Tourism Awards Southeast Asia 2026 took a different approach. The Gold Award, presented on July 7 at Eastwood Valley Golf and Country Club in Miri, Sarawak, went to Thailand-based social enterprise Local Alike — a recognition rooted not in scale, but in the principle that local communities should be primary beneficiaries of tourism.
Founded by Somsak “Pai” Boonkam, Local Alike has spent years building a model where residents co-design travel experiences grounded in local knowledge, cuisine, culture, and daily life. Rather than turning villages into passive attractions, the enterprise enables communities to decide what to share, how visitors engage, and how tourism revenue supports local priorities. Its guiding message, “Good Traveling, Lasting Impact,” reflects a commitment to ensuring benefits remain in the destination long after travelers depart.
Leadership with deep community-tourism expertise
Key to Local Alike’s growth is Chief Operating Officer Wanvipa “Thom” Phanumat, whose career includes senior roles at Thailand’s Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), where she served as Director of Community-Based Tourism Development and Director of Tourism Strategy Management. Her experience has been instrumental in translating responsible-tourism principles into practical programs that communities can manage and sustain. Khun Thom has also shared insights as a recognized expert at international, regional, and national industry events.
Together, Boonkam and Phanumat have built a team that understands community-based tourism requires patience, trust, and long-term relationships — not quick wins. Their approach has proven that meaningful travel does not place communities on display; it invites visitors to listen, learn, and participate with respect.
From regional recognition to global stage
The Responsible Tourism Awards evaluate organizations based on credible evidence of impact across categories including local economic benefit, diversity and inclusion, nature-positive tourism, cultural diversity, climate adaptation, and regenerative tourism. Gold winners from regional programs traditionally advance to the Global Responsible Tourism Awards, held during World Travel Market London later this year.
Local Alike said it was proud to represent Southeast Asia at the global awards, pledging to continue advancing community-based and regenerative tourism. The recognition comes as the industry increasingly judges responsible tourism not by labels or polished sustainability statements, but by measurable change for local people.
For travel professionals — from hoteliers and tour operators to destination marketers and travel-tech vendors — the Local Alike model offers a replicable blueprint. It demonstrates that tourism can protect heritage, strengthen livelihoods, and give communities greater confidence in shaping their own futures. As Thailand targets Middle East growth with wellness push and new flydubai route, community-based initiatives like Local Alike complement broader destination strategies by ensuring local populations benefit from increased visitor flows.
The road to London for Local Alike is not simply about competing for another award. It is an opportunity to carry the voices, hopes, and achievements of Southeast Asia’s communities onto the global stage — and to show the travel industry that tourism can do more than create memories. It can create lasting change.
