UNWTO CONFERENCE TOURISM A CATALYST FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE - 11-14 JULY 2016 PASSIKUDAH, SRI LANKA WWW.MEKONGTOURISM.ORG / SOCIAL MEDIA: @TOURISMMEKONG 1
UNWTO CONFERENCE ON TOURISM & PEACE WWW.MEKONGTOURISM.ORG / SOCIAL MEDIA: @TOURISMMEKONG UNWTO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON TOURISM & PEACE 11-14 JULY 2016 PASSIKUDAH, SRI LANKA 2
3
ABOUT THE GREATER MEKONG SUB-REGION (GMS) 4
Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Cambodia China Guangxi Yunnan Laos Myanmar Thailand Vietnam
Greater Mekong is home to more than 95 different ethnic groups Each have distinct customs and traditions, culture, language and beliefs All reliant on the Mekong River as a lifesource, but interact with the environment in many different ways
Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Economic Cooperation Program Initiated in 1992 Asian Development Bank supported Aims To facilitate sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty by strengthening economic linkages among the six member countries Vision: Prosperous, integrated and harmonious subregion
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) Multi-lateral Collaboration Headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand Core operations are financed by contributions from its owners, the six Mekong countries. Tasked with: Coordinate the Tourism Working Group (TWG) Coordinating the priority programs of the GMS Tourism Sector Strategy Implementing joint marketing activities Promoting the Mekong as a single destination Convene the annual Mekong Tourism Forum
Experiences of a lifetime 10
MYANMAR 11
Interviewing: HE Yee Mon - Permanent Secretary, Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism & Owner Myanmar Hill Lodges W 12
13
ISSUES: 135 TRIBES > UNITED MYANMAR CONFLICT ZONES BETWEEN MYANMAR ARMY AND TRIBES NEW GOVERNMENT > AGREEMENT BETWEEN MILITARY AND CIVIL 14
CONFLICT AREAS: 1. Kachin Conflict 2. Rohingya Conflict in Rakhine State 3. Shan Conflict 4. Chin, Karen (Kayin) and Mon Conflicts 15
NORTHERN MYANMAR: KACHIN STATE & PUTAO 17
THAILAND 18
19
20
SITUATION: CONFLICT ZONE: KACHIN STATE PERCEIVED CONFLICT IN THE NORTH, BUT PUTAO IS CONFLICT FREE TRAVEL ADVISORY DON T ENDORSE TRAVEL TO THE NORTH OF MYANMAR 21
22
CHALLENGES: PEACE AGREEMENT NOT SIGNED YET GOVERNMENT CANNOT GUARANTEE SAFEGUARD TO POTENTIAL INVESTORS INTERNATIONAL FUNDING NOT USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT 23
CASE STUDY: MYANMAR HILL LODGES & PUTAO LODGE 24
Hkakaborazi National Park is the home to South East Asia's highest peak. Protecting one of the region's most bio-diverse tracts of forest.
CASE STUDY: PUTAO LODGE BUILT IN 2007 REVENUE GENERATING IN 2009 & 2010 CONFLICT ERRUPTS IN 2011 IN KACHIN STATE CLOSING OF THE LODGE IN 2012 RE-OPENING OF THE LODGE IN 2013 SLOW START DUE TO PERCEIVED CONFLICT DOMESTIC TOURISM INCREASING EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA STILL SLOW (PERCEIVED CONFLICT) PRIOR TO CONFLICT 80% INTERNTIONAL / 20% DOMESTIC NOW 60%/40% (NOW ONE FLIGHT PER DAY AVAILABLE)
30
TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN MYANMAR 31
DEVELOPMENT: NO DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT PEACE AGREEMENT ONCE PEACE AGREEMENT, RAPID DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED NO TOURISM POLICY OR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN PLACE ABSENCE OF PEACE AGREEMENT PROTECTS THE PURE TOURISM EXPERIENCE NO INVESTMENT STALLS DEVELOPMENT ROAD FROM MYITKYN (KACHIN) TO PUTAO DESTROYED DURING CONFLICT BRIDGES IN MOUNTAINS USED FOR TREKKING (TOURISM) NOT USUABLE
LOCAL COMMUNITY: TOURISM PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYMENT, REVENUES, AND GENERATES HANDICRAFT INDUSTRY TOURISM IS AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC ACTIVITY IF NOT ENOUGH TOURISM, LOCAL RESIDENTS ENGAGE IN ACTIVITES THAT HARM THE ENVIRONMENT TO MAKE MONEY FOR SURVIVAL HUNTING: DEER, MONKEYS, RED PANDA, MOUNTAIN GOATS PICKING WILD ORCHIDS AND MEDICINAL PLANTS PANNING GOLD IN RIVER BANKS KILLS FISH POPULATION (MERCURY)
Thank you WWW.MEKONGTOURISM.ORG / SOCIAL MEDIA: @TOURISMMEKONG JENS THRAENHART, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR M E K O N G T O U R I S M C O O R D I N A T I NG O F F I C E ( M T C O ) TEL: +66 2612 4150 1 FAX: +66 2612 4152 EMAIL: JENS@ MEKONGTOURISM.ORG WWW.THRAENHART.COM 38