Thailand Targets 70% Green Accreditation for Tourism Businesses by End of 2026

Thailand Bets Big on Green Tourism

Thailand has set an ambitious sustainability benchmark for its tourism industry. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) wants 70 percent of the country's tourism businesses to be accredited under the STAR system by the end of 2026. STAR stands for Sustainable Tourism Acceleration Rating, a government-backed framework that evaluates hotels, tour operators, restaurants and attractions on environmental and social responsibility criteria.

The push forms a central pillar of the TAT's broader 2026 strategy, which explicitly shifts focus from visitor volume to visitor value — fewer but higher-spending tourists who stay longer, spend more in local communities and leave a lighter footprint. This value-over-volume pivot is also reshaping how Thailand markets itself to short-haul Asian travellers and beyond.

What Is the STAR Rating?

The STAR accreditation programme assesses tourism businesses across several categories:

• Energy management — use of renewable energy, efficient lighting and cooling systems.
• Water conservation — rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling and low-flow fixtures.
• Waste reduction — single-use plastic elimination, composting and recycling programmes.
• Community benefit — local hiring practices, sourcing from nearby suppliers and cultural preservation.
• Biodiversity protection — responsible land use and support for local conservation efforts.

Businesses that meet the criteria receive an official STAR rating, which is increasingly visible on booking platforms and the government-backed TAGTHAi travel app.

Why It Matters for Travellers

For tourists planning a trip in 2026 and beyond, the STAR push means a few concrete things:

Easier to Find Responsible Stays

As more hotels and guesthouses earn STAR accreditation, booking platforms are beginning to flag them with green labels. The TAGTHAi app already lets users filter for eco-certified properties, making it simpler to choose a stay that aligns with sustainable values without hours of research. For a broader list of certified destinations, Thailand has also launched the Good Travel certification covering 41 sustainable destinations.

Visible Changes on the Ground

Hotels across popular destinations like Phuket, Koh Samui and Chiang Mai are phasing out single-use plastics, installing solar panels and partnering with local farmers for restaurant supply chains. Expect to see fewer plastic water bottles at check-in and more refill stations in lobbies and pools.

Community-Based Tourism Growing

The accreditation also nudges businesses toward community-based tourism offerings — think guided village walks, local cooking workshops and homestay programmes in secondary cities. These experiences are often cheaper than mainstream excursions and put money directly into the hands of Thai families. The Mekong riverside provinces are a strong example of this model in action.

The Thailand Tourism Festival Set the Tone

At the 2026 Thailand Tourism Festival held earlier this year at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, a dedicated Zone 7 — Road to Sustainability served as the flagship platform for responsible travel advocacy. The zone showcased STAR-accredited businesses, eco-tourism startups and community tourism cooperatives, signalling that the government sees sustainability as a selling point rather than a constraint.

What to Do as a Visitor

• Check for STAR logos when booking hotels and tours.
• Use TAGTHAi to filter for eco-certified experiences.
• Choose secondary cities like Nan, Trat or Lampang for part of your trip — these places benefit most from responsible tourism spending.
• Bring a refillable bottle — refill stations are becoming standard at STAR-rated properties.
• Consider ethical wildlife experiences such as elephant sanctuaries or conservation volunteering.
• Explore wellness options — many STAR-rated properties also feature wellness retreats built around sustainable principles.

Thailand's 70 percent target is ambitious, but if it lands anywhere close, the country will enter 2027 as one of Southeast Asia's most visibly sustainable travel destinations. TAT is simultaneously managing other challenges on this front — including activating its Crisis Monitoring Centre to support travellers disrupted by external events — demonstrating that responsible tourism governance extends well beyond eco-certifications.