Developing an Environmentally Responsible Tourism Strategy for Tanintharyi Region

Innovative conservation since 1903

Frank Momberg

Developing an Environmental

Responsible Tourism Strategy

for Tanintharyi Region


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.


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


Coral Reef Surveys


Social Surveys



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


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


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.


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


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


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


• 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


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


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


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)

Innovative conservation since 1903www.fauna-flora.org

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Developing an Environmentally Responsible Tourism Strategy for Tanintharyi Region