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. Lampi Marine National Park
Tania Miorin – Country Representative
Multi-Stakeholder workshop on
Responsible Tourism in Tanintharyi Region
Dawei, 20th December 2016

2. Presentation Overview
 Background & Context
 Ecotourism Management Plan
o On-going Activities
o Future Plans
 Conclusions

3. Istituto Oikos
• Italian based NGO, established in Milan in 1996
• Operating in Myanmar since 2009, with the aim of promoting
responsible management of natural resources and sustainable
development
• Working in Lampi MNP in collaboration with Forest Department -
MONREC, with the objective to strengthen the conservation and
management of the Park
OIKOS: ancient Greek word meaning ‘our shared habitat’

4. Lampi Marine National Park: key information
 Myanmar’s first & only Marine NP
 Gazetted in 1996 (“Paper Park” until
2012)
 Area of > 205 km2 (Lampi Island plus 20
smaller islands)
 ASEAN Heritage Park 2003
 Important Bird Area 2004
 Extensive & inclusive consultation to
design:
o LMNP 2014-18 General Management
Plan
o LMNP 2015-18 Ecotourism
Management Plan

6. Lampi MNP: habitat & key natural resources
 High biodiversity and ecological importance
 key habitats: tropical evergreen forest, mangrove forest, beach and dune
forest, coral reef, sea grass beds
 Key terrestrial & marine resources: hornbills, sea turtles, sunda pangolin,
northern pig-tailed macaque, lesser mouse deer .........over 1,000 species
recorded

7. Lampi MNP: local community
 5 settlements
 3,000 people from different Ethnic
groups/ extremely heterogeneous
 majority migrated from main land
over 20 years ago
 ‘Mother Land’ of the Moken (160
people) -> spiritual value of the park
 Community dependent on coastal
resources livelihood
 Main land use/human activities:
fisheries, hunting, logging, plantation
and local businesses

8.  Illegal hunting
 Illegal and destructive
commercial fishing practices
(dynamite fishing, trawlers)
 Over-harvesting of marine
resources (sea cucumber, see
shells, turtle eggs)
 Logging & forest clearing for
plantations (rubber, mango,
betel nut, cashew)
 Land-grabbing / disputes
 Waste disposal & litter
 Risk of in-migration
Lampi MNP: Threats

9. Lampi MNP: access & tourism
 Access: isolated place, limited
communication, based on Travel
Authorization
 Tourism: since 1997 open to
international tourists
 Limited to the live-aboard cruises
(no CBT accommodation allowed
yet, one high-end Resort
recently approved)
 > 1,400 tourists /year inside the
Park
 Until 2015: No engagement of
community in tourism/no
financial benefit

10. FD / OIKOS
Project Objectives
 Promote Park’s conservation
 Document key natural
resources
 Increase awareness &
participation of local
community in conservation and
sustainable use of natural
resources
 Promote sustainable
livelihoods for local
community, especially
Community-based Ecotourism

11. Challenges for Ecotourism
 Weak regulatory environment & Law Enforcement: On-going destructive illegal
activities & uncontrolled infrastructure development
 Insufficient dialogue & coordination between key stakeholders (MONREC/Park
Staff, MOHT, GAD/MOHA, local community………)
 Yacht tourism growing but delivering few community benefits (arrive
unannounced, short stop/anchoring problems)
 No systems in place to direct tourism fees to environmental conservation &
community development (no entry fee, no tourist service fees)
 Lack of social cohesion among people living in the Park
 Local people need training and skill sets to be involved and benefit from
ecotourism (i.e English, Hospitality, Tour Guiding, Handicraft, tourism
industry..)
 If local community benefits from ecotourism, they will help “police” and report
illegal activity (i.e sea turtles hatchery, coral protection)
 If tourism is to become an incentive to stop destructive use, tourism benefits
must outweigh incomes from extractive activities

12. 1.Strengthen stakeholder coordination and management
2.Strengthen & diversify tourism product range
3.Develop conservation linkages & monitoring protocols
4.Develop marketing & interpretation
Strategic Programmes
Ecotourism Management Plan
Approved June 2015

13. Lampi CBT Committee
 Lampi CBT Committee established
 Training & awareness-raising
programme being implemented
 6-month work plans prepared
 CBT study tours
Lampi MNP Ecotourism Committee
 District-level: government, private
sector & Lampi CBT Committee
 Stakeholder coordination /
coordinate activities
 2-3 meetings per year
Stakeholder Planning & Coordination

14.  Waste management system in place and run by the
community
 Households & shops pay monthly waste collection fees
 Dump sites/land fills were identified and created
 Clean Up Days regularly organized by youth and
community members
On-going Work Programmes: Waste Management

15.  Ecotourism training to local community (CBT committee)
 English training for community members
 Village Tour Guiding Training (village tour, Moken tour, 2 jungle
trails)
 Handicraft products & shop opened (linked to waste-management
project)
 Environmental Education in & around the Park
Training & EducationOn-going Work Programmes:

18.  Tour Guide Training
 Piloting Village Tour and Jungle
trails with local Tour Guides
 Boat moorings construction
Collaboration with Private/Tourism Sector
On-going work programmes:

20.  multifunctional-educational hall for workshops & trainings, an open space
with educational panels to raise awareness about Park’s natural resources
and Moken culture
 office space, 5 bedrooms and kitchen facilities to host local & international
researchers and consultants
Park Visitor Centre

24. Education Panels
 Contents:
 Lampi MNP Overview
 Moken
 Mangroves
 Sea Turtles
 Birds
 Hornbill
 20 panels inside Visitor Centre
 10 panels around the Park including
5 centred around the Moken

27.  Contents: Natural Resources;
Human History, Conservation
Management; & Tourism (25
separate topics)
 Collaboration with scientists,
local and international
universities, other NGOs,
tourism consultants and the
private sector
 10,000 copies
Lampi GuideBook (80 pages)

28. Lampi Folding MAP

29. DOs & DONTs
Be a Responsible Tourist !
 Code of Conduct
developed & included in:
 folding map
 guidebook
 posters
 Park website
 Working with yachting
companies & MOHT
archipelago guides to
distribute these materials

31.  Lampi MNP new logo and official website
www.lampipark.org
 Lampi Project Video Documentaries
 Fund raising campaign:
o mobilize tourist donations to support
community development initiatives and Park’s
conservation
o promoted among tourist sector, especially
through yachting companies, tour operator &
their websites
Park Promotion & Visibility

32. Develop CBT Accommodation
 Discussions underway with
community, FD/NWCD to establish….
 A community & private sector
partnership (Oikos as facilitator)
 Low environmental footprint,
accommodation for 20-25 people
 Develop skill sets to enable local
people to take over management
through a Park lease agreement (in 5-
10 yrs)
Future Plans

33. Future Plans
 Working with CNRS Paris &
renowned anthropologists to
develop……
 Build 3-5 kabangs, living museum
 Park tours on kabangs
 Develop Moken excursions
(mangroves tours with sampan, …)
 Products designed & trialed in
partnership with CBT
accommodation project & current
tourists
 Lampi museum / cultural space &
travelling exhibitions
Develop Moken-focused products

34. Future Plans
 High archipelago fees charged for yachting
tours (2015, US$468,239) – but nothing
redirected to the Park or Archipelago
 Financing options:
o Park entry fee
o User fees (anchoring, kayaking, tour guide
etc..)
o Concessions & leases (Wa Ale, future CBT
accommodation…)
o Donations from “I Love Lampi” campaign
o Lampi Community Development Trust Fund
 Guidelines for use of funds (conservation &
community development)
 Align with national policy & strategy for
protected areas
2015
MYANMAREcotourism Policy and
Management Strategy
for Protected Areas
Design & deploy ecotourism-related sustainable funding mechanisms

35. In Conclusion….
Great Potential !
• National Park status enables
stronger management controls
• High community interest in
CBT & ecotourism
• Ecotourism is engaging the
local community in Park
conservation
• Lampi can become a model for
the Archipelago & other PAs
• High Media interest in the
Moken and Myanmar’s only
National Park
Key Concerns
• On-going exploitation of Park
resources
• No easy /quick fix answers to
COMPLEX planning &
management issues
• Need to develop slowly:
o build a common understanding
of concepts (CBT, conservation
through development,
sustainable financing /PES)
o Build capacity among all
stakeholders at all levels
....for Lampi to be a success story there is a need for
strong governance & high-level political support !

36. www.lampipark.org