On 27 September 2021, PSU Phuket Campus held its first online meeting to foster medical tourism in Phuket province through the Karon Wellness Sandbox. Meeting participants shared details of the development guidelines of Karon Sub-district Municipality with representatives from government agencies, community leaders in Karon Sub-district, and participants in a training course on hotel management promoting health tourism for executives in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, and Surat Thani.
Inspiration for the Karon Wellness Sandbox originated from the 20-Year National Strategy (2018-2037), which sets out development goals for Thailand. The Council of Ministers approved the proposal of ten target industries to drive the New Engine of Growth economy or “10 S-curve industries”, denoting the industries that have potential. The project recognizes the importance of Thailand continuing to develop quality medical services to become a modern medical hub for tourists, while also developing marketing tools at the same time.
The online meeting provided an excellent opportunity for all stakeholders in Karon to provide suggestions about the development of the locality.
