MCRB and FFI began a week of multistakeholder workshops on sustainable tourism in Tanintharyi with a two day discussion focussed on Myeik District at the J&J Hotel on 15/16 May attended by around 60 local people involved in the tourism industry, and international and Myanmar tourism experts. Read more: http://www.myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org/news/tanintharyi-tourism-workshops.html

1. The UK’s European university
Lessons from other coastal &
island destinations
Dr Mark Hampton
University of Kent, UK

2. Lessons from ASEAN neighbours
• Pattaya, Thailand: mass coastal destination
• Gili islands, Indonesia: ‘Small is beautiful’

3. Pattaya: mass coastal destination
• Until 1960s, small sleepy fishing village
• First tourism US troops on ‘R & R’
during Vietnam War
• Attraction: beach, bars & girls (red
light). Good access to Bangkok (new
highway built)
• International tourism boomed late
1960s-early ‘70s. Trend to larger
international hotels
• Mid 1970s 400,000 tourists, by mid
mid ‘80s over 900,000!
• Over 3 million p.a. by early ‘90s

4. • Now around 8 million staying visitors p.a
& 136,000 rooms
• Unplanned resort, massive growth from
village to coastal city
• Major environmental problems:
pollution, unsafe water for swimming
(untreated sewage & solid waste), traffic
& urban sprawl
• Terrible reputation for sex tourism,
drugs, crime etc.
BUT major plans to clean up the
environment & change emphasis to a
family friendly, ‘green’ resort . . .

5. • In mid ‘90s only 30% of sewage
treated: most straight into sea.
• In 1990 $141 million investment in
Pattaya’s infrastructure (roads,
pavements, drainage & sewage
treatment)
• Results: new sewage treatment
plant & improving water quality at
beaches
• Recent problems: poorly
maintained sewage plant - late
2016 still sewage at beach only
20% waste water treated . . .

6. ‘New Pattaya: The World Class Greenovative
Tourism City’ Master Plan
http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/281857/pattaya-from-
sin-city-to-green-paradise
2009 - Master Plan for
Pattaya to become a
Designated Area for
Sustainable Tourism
Administration. (DASTA).
2011 – Master Plan
approved by Cabinet.
Key Challenges:
-Administrative overhaul
(semi-autonomy &
integrated).
-Law enforcement &
criminality (local and
foreign).
-Image transformation.
-Environmental restoration.

7. International Tourism Demands
Pattaya’s new development reflects the changing demands
of tourists, some multinational tour operators eg: TUI, and
the global sustainable development agenda.
Experiential not passive – beyond the tourist gaze.
• 3S tourism (sun, sand and sea)
versus
• Active, immersive, participatory tourism (diving ,
snorkeling, boating). Pristine environments.

8. Gili Trawangan,
Indonesia: small-
scale tourism
Unplanned, organic tourism
growth.
Local community owned and
managed.

9. Gili Trawangan island
• Chalet accommodation & modest
hotels, some boutique hotels
• Several dive schools
• No large hotels, no airstrip
• BUT direct fast boat from Bali
• No mechanised transport allowed
(bicycles, horse carts only)
• Tourism from 1980s, first
backpackers, now families & more
upmarket development

10. Gili Trawangan coast
(1996, 1997, 2011)
Map produced by Perseverence Jeyacheya.

11. SATGAS
• Locally administered
management.
• Tourist tax to pay fisherfolk
for losses through zoning the
marine park.
• Policing park to deter fish
bombing.
Gili Ecotrust
• Coral reef restoration –
BioRock technology.
• BioRock International
Workshops.
• Partnering with international
NGOs (Coral Guardian).
• Waste management: Beach
clean ups & recycling rubbish
Local NGOs: islanders, backpackers & dive
tourists respond to coral reef loss

13. Backpacker tourism
• No data available: best estimate is around
one million backpackers in SE Asia each
year!
• Although negative government views sadly
common
• Overwhelming research evidence of
positive economic impacts from
backpacker tourism

14. Economic impact
Leakage & Foreign Exchange Earnings
 Lower foreign exchange earnings
compared with mass tourism
BUT
 Longer Average Length of Stay 
higher spend (Malaysia backpackers
27.9 nights compared with tourists’
average 8.6
 Vietnam 37.1; Thailand 33.5;
Cambodia 12.9

15. Stronger linkages with local
economy
 mass tourists demand
imported goods (familiar
brands) BUT
 backpackers consume local
goods & services (food,
transport etc)
 Stronger linkages to local
economy than conventional
tourism

16. • Minimal foreign exchange needs
for building & operations: local
materials (wood, bamboo etc) for
beach chalets (e.g. Perhentian
islands, Malaysia)
• Or convert existing properties (e.g.
Ho Chi Minh City)
• Lower economic leakage:
conventional tourism c 70%
leakage, backpackers only c 30%
leakage (Hampton, 2013)

17. Employment
 Although mass tourism more
direct employment than
small-scale tourism
 Question of job
opportunities i.e. own guest
house or cleaner at Sheraton?

18. Local ownership/ participation
 backpacker tourism lower entry
costs (low capital needs): local
ownership
 Usually higher returns than
agriculture, fishing or informal
sector

19. Improved
livelihoods from
backpacker tourism
Casestudy: from
beach shack to shop
Hut to concrete
house (& son
financed through
university)

20. Backpackers:
 Although clear economic benefits of backpackers for
local development (stronger economic linkage,
lower leakage, longer stay)
 Still ignored by most ASEAN government tourism
planners (exception Malaysia)
 Evidence is clear
Backpackers are not the complete solution for
tourism for local development but need to be part
of tourism planning mix

21. Summary
Coastal development without a Master Plan and clear
management strategy (& effective implementation)
will:
• harm the environment
• damage the destination’s reputation
• limit opportunities for sustainable and responsible
tourism development (Pattaya, Kuta)
• speed the loss of control of tourism to external
players
A Destination Management Organisation (DMO) with
local involvement is key to delivering the plan &
implementing it

22. Thank youThank you!
email: m.hampton@kent.ac.uk