Tourism Development and Land Use in Myanmar - Dr. Andrea Valentin

Tourism development and land use in Myanmar

Challenges and Opportunities

Dr. Andrea Valentin

1st October 2015

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At a glance

• Tourism in Myanmar is rising, but probably not to the extent officially reported

• What’s most needed? Infrastructure, capacity and sustainable destination management

• PLUS professionalizing tourism management for tourism to be responsible, benefits must be distributed widely (SMEs), not held in the hands of elite group

• Tourism can offer a path out of poverty for marginalized groups tourism’s labour force, particularly women, and conservation projects focusing on eco- and community-based tourism

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…Two Parallel Worlds

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ON PAPER

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT ON THE GROUND

Responsible Tourism Policy 2012 Tourism development projects are being called to follow the principles of responsible tourism, but land displacements in the name of tourism continue in many areas

Myanmar Tourism Master Plan 2013 Lack of transparency about process of implementation

Policy on Community Involvement in Tourism 2013

Very encouraging! Projects are being implemented based on CIT Policy, but tensions remain about implementation in minority areas and post-conflict zones

Ecotourism Policy (drafted 2014/2015) ? Not officially launched yet despite conference

B&B Policy (drafted 2014) ? Draft developed but status unknown

Tourism Law (drafted 2014/2015) ? Draft law to be passed to parliament?

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What can happen?

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• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS– Positives: Conservation areas established to preserve natural heritage,

tourism as a way to raise awareness on environmental values– Negatives: Pollution, degradation, deforestation, pesticides, unsustainable

resource use (water, land)

• SOCIO-CULTURAL IMPACTS– Positives: can serve as a supportive force for peace, foster pride in cultural

traditions and help avoid urban relocation by creating local jobs– Negatives: changes in value systems and behaviour and thereby

threatening indigenous identity, commodification of culture, staged authenticity, crime, prostitution

• ECONOMIC IMPACTS– Positives: creates jobs, opportunities for SMEs, tax revenues (can be used

for health and education), foreign exchange earnings– Negatives: leakage, enclave tourism, high infrastructure cost, increase in

prices, seasonality, dependence on tourism at the expense of losing traditional livelihoods

Why destinations rise and fall in popularity

• Unplanned and uncontrolled tourism

• Unsustainable development

• Unequal benefits

IT IS UNWISE TO LEAVE DESTINATIONS TO MARKET FORCES

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Many issues, e.g.: Coastal challenge

• Coastal tourism will likely attract masses of tourists

• Extremely vulnerable ecosystems

• Unplanned and uncoordinated hotel construction, displacement of locals, waste dumping, careless boating, diving, snorkeling

• Once destroyed it is very very difficult to recover

Heritage degradation

• Yangon, Myanmar

• 3 million + tourist arrivals 2014

• Rapid growth since 2010

• Vast construction but also strong efforts to preserve unique cityscape

Plans for Hotel Zones

U Yan Win, Chairman of MTF, confirmed in January 2015 that a total of

20 hotel zones are to be constructed throughout Myanmar:

“There have been a lot of changes to the tourism industry. […] We have set up new hotel zones to cope with the increase in visitors. At the moment, there are now 15 hotel zones [one each in all 14 states and regions, and two in Ayeyarwady Region – Ngwe Saungand Chaung Tha]. In the New Year, we will establish four more hotel zones – one in Myitkyina, Kachin State, one in Lashio, northern Shan State, another one in Monywa, SagaingRegion and another one in Magwe, Magwe Region.”

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tourismtransparency.org 9

Planned Hotel

Zones in Myanmar

Inle Hotel Zone

tourismtransparency.org 10

Inle Hotel Zone

• More than 5,000 new hotel rooms are to be added to Inle lake. • Tourism businesses are concerned. Much discontent from many sides,

including tourists. The construction site is a scar on the hills and an eyesore for those visiting the lake.

• The lack of adequate consultations with land owners is most concerning. • The pace of development is concerning. More than 20 new hotels and

guesthouses have been constructed in Nyaungshwe already, plus 87 high-end hotels are planned in the Hotel Zone. Over-capacity?!

• The lack of transparency about the project is concerning. Data on who the investors are, what construction regulations the hotels would be subject to etc, are elusive.

• Farmers who owned the land of the 622-acre Inle hotel zone were to be paid compensation on the basis of the cultivated area and the type of crops, which was to be based upon three years projected production. But farmers say they were inadequately compensated and lost access to their land as it has been seized by the government and leased to developers to build the zone.

• Currently construction of the hotel zone is ongoing, despite protests.11

Southern Myanmar

A ‘Phuket-style’ resort is planned on an island off Kawthoung, in the very South of Myanmar. Zochwell, a Singaporean construction company, has received permission from MIC for ‘Lux Dream Island’

“The project envisages development of marina, beach resorts and villas, luxury hotels, sea plane facilities, ultra-modern adventure and sea sports centers and even a golf course. The modern integrated casino will be a natural attraction for the rich and famous.”

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Phuket & Singapore - best practice examples for Mergui archipelago development?

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Hotel Zone plans for emerging destinations?

• Natmataung National Park, Chin State construction is taking place

• Dawei – most beach areas on the peninsula have been sold

• Land speculation in Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary, with four zones being discussed

Fragile ecosystemsPost-conflict zones

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Myanmar government should consider whether they are paying sufficient attention to sustainable tourism

development, and whether current tourism plans adequately embrace

concerns about land.

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Tourism’s Impact on Land

• Land will need to be acquired to develop tourism infrastructure and to meet the increase in tourism demand. This will generate jobs - the tourism industry has good potential for poverty alleviation.

• BUT responsible tourism development should be grounded in historical facts, providing a chance to learn from past mistakes.

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Historical context

• In 1994, 500 families were displaced from their homes in Yangon to build hotels in preparation of ‘Visit Myanmar Year 1996’ (COHRE, 2007) to prevent tourists from seeing the scale of poverty (Barnett, 2008), and through the beautification of major tourist destinations (Henderson, 2003).

• Many families in the historic sites of Mandalay and Amarapura faced similar land-grab problems (COHRE, 2007).

• In 1989 in Chaung Tha beach land was confiscated for a hotel project but never compensated. In 2012 villagers protested against this past land grab to no avail.

• In 1994 in preparation for the Visit Myanmar Year 1996, residents of ‘Old Bagan' were forced to relocate to the newly created ‘New Bagan’, also resulting in attempted protests at the time.

• In 2000, farm land in Ngwe Saung beach was confiscated for the development of hotels.

• In the same year 36 acres of land were seized by the military from locals in Ngapali beach, Rakhine State, at the time with the understanding that it would be returned if the military was no longer using it. This promise was broken when in 2014 the land was leased to Myanmar hotel groups.

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Unrestrained tourism development will intensify land conflicts in Myanmar

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Land Rights and Tourism

• Common struggles across different sectors.

However, tourism is special• Reputational risks pose huge threats for

international tourism companies – meanwhile, responsible tourism is on the rise. Due diligence must be undertaken, esp. in relation to land

• The vague legal frameworks, the lack of rule of law and basic land rights are the main reasons international investors remain cautious “Are hotel zones economically viable?”

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Enhanced due diligence is necessary

Why?

• The historical legacy (and to some extent on-going suppression of protests with respect to land);

• The lack of a uniform and accessible land registry establishing land ownership;

• The lack of full recognition of customary ownership; • The significance of land based livelihoods and attachment to

ancestral lands.

Companies need to engage in extensive “ground truthing”. This entails direct consultation with villagers, community and religious leaders, as well as local authorities, and may be best conducted informally and 1:1.

MCRB Land Briefing 2015

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Tourism Destination Management

= To manage the various components of a local tourist destination in a way that ensures economic profitability, while avoiding degradation of the factors that have created its competitive position.

• Organization of local resources

• Coordination of local tourism production

• Management of relations among stakeholders

• Market segmentation and product lines

• Management of the value produced by tourism for all actors involved

Tourism Master Plan

Strategic Projects for Implementation, 2013–2020 (pg.63)

Strategic Program 3: Strengthen Safeguards and Procedures for Destination Planning and

Management17. Tourism Management Planning in

Emerging Destinations

This project will build the capacity of

destination management organizations by

imparting methods, tools, and approaches

needed by key stakeholders to design

integrated destination management plans in

four emerging destinations. It will identify

investment needs and opportunities for local

community involvement in tourism, and work

with private operators to develop tourism

activities that protect the social, cultural,

and environmental resources of the

destination.

MOHT, state/regional governments

Budget: $3.0

18. Tourism Destination Management

Planning Support

This project will strengthen the capacity of

Government agencies, private operators,

and civil society to conduct participatory

planning and prepare tourism destination

management plans. Working through DMOs,

the project will develop innovative methods

and tools suitable for Myanmar and train

key stakeholders in their application. Model

tourism destination management plans will

be prepared for four flagship destinations.

MOHT, state/regional governments

Budget: $4.0

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• Tourism Destination Management Plans have been or are being created for Bagan, Inle, Mandalay, and Kayah State

• However, currently no destination management organisation exists in Myanmar could form part of the decentralization process technical support is needed to operate DMOs in Myanmar

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Following up

Conclusion

• Government and tourism private sector do not yet abide by their own responsible tourism standards.

• Environmental and social impact assessments are rarely conducted.

• The local population is not consulted and is informed insufficiently of projects. No consultation procedure exists that involves the local population and allows their participation.

• Freedom of movement is denied to local communities in some emerging tourist destinations. Fishing opportunities are significantly restricted.

• Hotel zones provide only a limited income for the local population. The majority of hotel employees originate from other regions.

• Grievance mechanisms do not exist at all.

• The role of women and their engagement in employment opportunities are marginalised by the top-down tourism development process.

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Opportunities for Government

• Tourism authorities must abide by their own norms and policies. EIAs and SIAs are essential. Pre-project approval consultations with local communities and civil society in tourism destinations are the first steps of responsible tourism.

• Government should make sure that stakeholders know what is expected of them. The responsible tourism policy and others should be clearly disseminated.

• Establish participatory structures through which government works with other stakeholders to plan, develop and manage tourism in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

• Work in effective partnerships with local destinations. It is at the local level where tourism needs to be effectively integrated into sustainable development Decentralization of tourism management, establishment of DMOs

• Integrate sustainable land use in policy documents. Gaps and deficiencies should be identified and addressed accordingly.

• The commitment to change and improvement must be genuine and based on actions that can be delivered.

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Opportunities for Tourism Businesses

• Take note of policies and seek to improve your own performance and actions in line with the principles of responsible tourism.

• Enact due diligence and address human rights deficits.• Apply international standards and guidance during any land

processes.• Hotels must not be built on grabbed land Introduce grievance

mechanisms and provide remedy to the affected parties for any human rights violations committed.

• Work together to strengthen tourism businesses collective response – the private sector is best placed to influence the awareness and actions of visitors; they have a very important role to play to take responsible tourism action.

• Tourism will not become more sustainable without the tourism private sectors’ active commitment and response to the challenges of land tenure.

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Opportunities for Civil Society

• = Civil society groups can build bridges between government, the private sector and local communities. They have a very valuable role to play in the execution of responsible tourism, e.g. research and capacity building.

• Adopt a collaborative approach with govt and private sector to ensure that local communities are protected

• Call on tourism stakeholders to protect the human rights of those affected by irresponsible tourism development.

• Use relevant Conventions that Myanmar is party to when pressing legal claims against land grabs. These conventions Myanmar has ratified and in any land conflict, where it is possible, CSOs could argue that the land has cultural, environmental, or natural heritage value.

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Thank you.

[email protected]

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