MCRB and FFI co-hosted a two-day multistakeholder workshop on sustainable and responsible tourism in Tanintharyi, over two days in Dawei on 19 and 20 December. Read more: http://www.myanmar-responsiblebusiness.org/news/sustainable-tourism-workshop-tanintharyi.html

1. Innovative conservation since 1903
Frank Momberg
Developing an Environmental
Responsible Tourism Strategy
for Tanintharyi Region

2. Innovative conservation since 1903
What is responsible tourism?
Responsible Tourism - Tourism that recognizes the impacts
of tourism on a destination and seeks to maximise the
positive impacts and minimizes the negative impacts
Ecotourism – Responsible
travel to natural areas that
conserves the environment
and improves the well being
of local people.

3. Innovative conservation since 1903
To develop a responsible tourism strategy we will share:
• Key principles and actions for responsible tourism
development
• Identification of key biodiversity areas/ nature-based
tourism attraction
• Baseline assessment of current tourism development in
Tanintharyi
• Best practices of world-class tourism management in
Galapagos World Heritage Site
• Lessons learned from community-based tourism in
Myanmar

4. Innovative conservation since 1903
Coral Reef Surveys

5. Innovative conservation since 1903
Social Surveys

6. Innovative conservation since 1903

7. Innovative conservation since 1903
Negative Impacts of
Tourism Development
• Traffic congestions and pollution to access destinations and
attractions (e.g. Inle Lake)
• Land erosions/ land reclamation/ sedimentation causing natural
habitat loss (Sedimentation from coastal land clearing for hotel
development destroys coral reefs)
• Building of boat jetties/ marinas in coral reef areas can destroy the
reef
• Habitat degradation due to use of building materials from
unsustainable sources (e.g. timber, sand, gravel)
• Depletion of freshwater sources
• Pollution of air, water, noise (e.g. sewage/ solid waste leads to algae
growth killing off coral reefs)
• Trampling by snorkelers and divers, anchors from boats destroy
fragile coral reefs

8. Innovative conservation since 1903
Maximize benefits to the
environment and minimize
negative impacts
• Responsible Tourism Strategy: The destination has
established and is implementing a multi-year responsible
tourism strategy that has been consulted with all
stakeholders, is publically available, and that considers
environmental, sociocultural, health and safety issues,
including cumulative impacts
• Ecosystem Protection: The destination has a system in place
to measure the impact of tourism and mange impacts on sea/
landscapes and eco-systems
• Energy conservation: The destination has a program in place
to promote energy conservation, reduce reliance on fossil
fuels and encourage tourism operators to conserve energy
and use renewable energy

9. Innovative conservation since 1903
Maximize benefits to the
environment and minimize
negative impacts (2)
• Water consumption/ conservation: The destination
encourages tourism enterprises to monitor and conserve
water. The water supply for tourism is ecologically sustainable
and does not adversely effect community users, taking into
account the overall cumulative impacts of all local surface and
groundwater use. The destination has a system in place to
monitor surface and seawater water quality.
• Waste management: The destination has a system in place to
ensure that waste from tourism sites and enterprises are
properly treated and reused or safely deposited without
adverse effects to the local population and the environment.
Ensure that waste from tourism is minimized, re-used or
recycled. Tourism operations are encouraged to support
beach and stream clean ups.

10. Innovative conservation since 1903
Moscos Islands Wildlife Sanctuary
• Up to 90% coral cover
• Important turtle nesting site
• Low fishing impacts
• Excellent diving potential
Current and potential threats
• Day trip snorkel tourist cause coral
destruction by trampling and boat
anchorage and leave waste
• Spearfishing tourism undermines
the potential as dive destination
• Hotel development on the islands
would cause habitat loss

11. Innovative conservation since 1903
Recommendations for
Moscos Islands WS
 No hotel development on the Moscos islands, encourage
hotel development on the Dawei peninsula instead
 No development on turtle nesting beach
 Identify beach tourism sites for picnic/ swimming day trips
– provide shelters for shade
– establish waste collection system by tourism operators
– regulate visitor numbers and entrance fees in support of park
protection
– Identify safe boat access to the beach without impacting corals

12. Innovative conservation since 1903
Recommendations for
Moscos Islands WS (2)
 Identify snorkelling/ diving day trip sites
– provide mooring buoys for save anchoring of boats (sandy/ rocky area without
impact on corals) if beach access without impacting corals is not possible
– provide mandatory snorkelling guides (guides trained in health and safety, safe
snorkelling without impacting corals, basic coral reef interpretations skills)
– regulate visitor numbers of trips/ visitors per day and site
– collect entrance fees in support of park protection
If save beach access without impact to coral reef is possible:
– Provide shelter and establish waste collection system by tourism operators
 Develop dive itineraries for dive operators/ hotels based on the Dawei
peninsula
 Promote development of dive operations and training of local dive
guides

13. Innovative conservation since 1903
• Small beaches
• Very good but very fragile shallow
coral reefs, suitable for snorkelling
or diving
• Potential base for dive operation
(Black Rock)
• Moken village with potential for
community-based tourism
• Threats from destructive fishing
practises
Langan island group

14. Innovative conservation since 1903
Recommendations for
Langan island group
 No hotel development on the islands (except dive resort)
 No development in locally managed marine area/ LMMA (except
mooring buoys, diving/ snorkelling, and community-managed lodge)
 Development of community-based (LMMA) diving/ snorkelling tourism
– Promote Moken cultural visit by cruise boats
– Promote live-on-board dive operations
– Establish mooring buoys to avoid anchorage damage
– Manage snorkelling to avoid damage to shallow corals
– Train local guides on Moken culture and responsible snorkelling
– Regulate visitor numbers
– Dive/ cruise operators pay entrance fee/ donation to LMMA for
community-based coral reef protection
– Assess feasibility for community-managed lodge

15. Innovative conservation since 1903
Thayawthadangyi/ Daung
islands
• Beautiful beaches on the west
site
• Potential for short forest treks
• Very good coral reefs, but low
visibility, not suitable for
snorkelling or diving
• Threats from destructive fishing
practises
• Potential base for dive
operations to Torres islands
Torres islands
• Most islands have good coral
reefs
• Good dive sites
• Very far from the main land
• Destructive fishing practices

16. Innovative conservation since 1903
Recommendations
Thayawthadangyi/ Daung islands
 Identify beach tourism sites for picnic/ swimming day trips
– identify short forest treks
– provide shelters for shade
– establish waste collection system by tourism operators
– regulate visitor numbers and collect license/ entrance fees in
support of park protection (LMMA/ no take zones)
– Identify safe boat access to the beach without impacting coral
reefs
 Potential hotel development on beautiful beaches (without coral
reefs)
– establish waste collection system by hotel operators
– collect entrance/ license fees in support of park protection (no take
zones)

17. Innovative conservation since 1903www.fauna-flora.org