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| The Children's Festival in Koh Samui occurs in January every year |
Thailand,
like most cultures, hold special festivals focused on children, occasions which
can best be experienced in one of the country’s top tourist destination Koh
Samui. This tourism jewel is located at the Gulf of Thailand, off the country’s
east coast. Rightly so, local authorities have made a children’s festival among
the Koh Samui attractions,
providing additional promotional platform for popular travel facilities like
the ShaSa Resort, a
preferred destination in the southern end of the island.
For
local and foreign tourists alike, it is endearing to witness or be a part of
this quaint celebration traditionally held each January. Some local
institutions also hold similar celebrations of their own at different times of
the year. One thing for sure, there’s unity in the purpose of these events to
focus on the importance of inculcating positive values in the minds of children
as future leaders in succeeding generations.
Prismatic festival dimension
As to
be expected, the children of Koh Samui look forward to this annual event. It
is, after all, their day and their chance to be the centre of attention. To
their credit, travel and tour operators too have recognised the importance of
this celebration and have actively promoted the festival as a come-on for
tourists to visit the island. By doing so, a new dimension that is
international and character is lent to the festivity in honour of children. On
the same breadth, the festival is also a chance for the Thai children to
showcase their culture, dressed as they are in traditional garb for this
occasion.
Kids
with their visiting parents can partake of the various family-oriented activities,
which can be enjoyed during the festival. What’s in store for them is a
day-long fun of games and entertainment purposively organized not only for
camaraderie but also bringing out the talents of children. Hence, the program
of activities can include singing and art competitions as well as dancing
contests. Social interaction is also fostered through gift-giving and special
treats.
Discount privileges are also extended to children, particularly on
food, drinks, and entertainment, such as boat rides.
Advocacy for sustainable tourism
It is
quite commendable too that some institutions have injected advocacy on the
children’s festival lately. One example is the inclusion of
environment-consciousness in the celebration organised by the International
School of Samui. The event, besides its associated festivities, featured lectures,
scientific experiments, and film presentations on the value of preserving the
island’s water environment, a pursuit that should help make tourism sustainable
for Koh Samui for the benefit of future generations.
