STRONGER coordination between stakeholders and increased local participation in tourism-related decisions are key focus points if Myanmar’s tourism industry is to grow sustainably.
This is according to a multi-stakeholder workshop on responsible tourism and human rights – attended by over 100 participants from the government, tourism businesses, associations, civil society groups, international NGOs and travel specialists – organised by the Myanmar Center for Responsible Business (MCRB) and Hanns Seidel Foundation last week in Nay Pyi Taw.
The issue at the top of the list for over 20 per cent of participants is the lack of local participation. Next five highest ranking concerns are waste and water management, safety, access to land, relocation of communities and tourism’s impact on children.
Many participants noted that while current policies set strong frameworks for local involvement, things are not actually taking place on the ground, mainly due to a lack of capacity, money and time needed.
“This meeting highlighted how transparency, constant communication and the sharing of lessons learned and different perspectives facilitates better decisions on how to develop tourism sustainably,” said Vicky Bowman, director of MCRB.
“The recent history of hotel zones in Myanmar shows how quick decisions taken without a full understanding of the potential social, environmental and cultural impacts, as well as the needs of the market, and local concerns, can lead to bad outcomes for communities, economic losses for business, environmental degradation and unhappy tourists,” he added.
