Phuket declared World Festival and Events City

The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) has declared Phuket a 2024 World Festival and Events City.
The acknowledgement was announced in Pittsburgh, in the United States, on Sunday.
Pattanachai Singhavara, southern director of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, said the IFEA based the declaration on factors including outstanding festivals and economic development based on festivals. 
IFEA said on its website that Phuket’s rich cultural heritage was showcased through events such as the Vegetarian Festival, featuring elaborate processions and rituals, and the Phuket Peranakan Festival, celebrating the island’s unique blend of Thai and Chinese heritage.
The association also declared five other World Festival and Event Cities for 2004. They were Gwangju Dong-gu in South Korea and four others in the US – McAllen in Texas, Milwaukee in Wisconsin, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.