UNESCO has designed Songkhla in the South and Nan in the North as UNESCO Creative Cities for 2025 on the occasion of World Cities Day yesterday.
Nan was recognised for its outstanding crafts and folk art, while Songkhla was recognised for its gastronomy.
58 cities around the world were designated as new members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCNN) this year, in recognition for their commitment to championing creativity as a driver of sustainable urban development and because these cities bring their proven expertise in building resilient and vibrant communities to the network, according to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
She said UNESCO Creative Cities have actively promoted human-centred urban living and governance, offering a wide range of culture and creativity to their citizens.
The other cities include Abuja for literature, Giza for film, Evian for music, Ho Chi Minh City for film, Kuala Lumpur for design, New Orleans for music and Quezon City for film.
The network now includes 408 cities across more than 100 countries. For the first time this year, the UCNN welcomes Creative Cities of Agriculture. This is a new creative field, in addition to the existing crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts and music.
