Forum on Sustainability in Tourism and Hospitality in Myanmar

This year has been declared the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development” by the United Nations and it is therefore the right time to raise further awareness of this important issue in Myanmar, where tourism is growing at a very fast pace. It is increasingly important that key tourism stakeholders become familiar with the GSTC Industry criteria for sustainability and learn about good sustainability practices in the region. Sustainable tourism is a driver for job creation and provides long-term benefits to both the private sector and local communities. Discussing sustainability in tourism goes beyond the implementation of green practices in hotels. Matters regarding gender equality in the workplace, women occupying management positions, as well as decent work, are cross-cutting issues that are intrinsically embedded into discussions about sustainability. Swisscontact, the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute (MRTI) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GTSC) have jointly organized the first-ever “Forum on Sustainability in Tourism and Hospitality in Myanmar” in Yangon, Myanmar (March 29-30, 2017), an event for mutual learning and knowledge-sharing about sustainability in tourism. The event has been co-financed by Novotel Yangon Max and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in Myanmar. This year has been declared the “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development” by the United Nations and it is therefore the right time to raise further awareness of this important issue in Myanmar, where tourism is growing at a very fast pace. It is increasingly important that key tourism stakeholders become familiar with the GSCT Industry criteria for sustainability and learn about good sustainability practices in the region. Sustainable tourism is a driver for job creation and provides long-term benefits to both the private sector and local communities. Discussing sustainability in tourism goes beyond the implementation of green practices in hotels. Matters regarding gender equality in the workplace, women occupying management positions, as well as decent work, are cross-cutting issues that are intrinsically embedded into discussions about sustainability. H.E. Mr. Paul Seger, Ambassador of the Embassy of Switzerland in Myanmar as well as U Ohn Myint, Deputy Director General, Directorate of Hotels and Tourism (MoHT) attended the first day of the Forum and delivered remarks to highlight the importance of the event in promoting sustainable practices in Myanmar. More than 160 representatives from hotels, officials from MoHT, key associations from the Myanmar Tourism Federation, development partners and community based stakeholders that are supporting sustainable tourism in the country joined this event. The first day of the forum was held in a conference style, where national and international experts shared their experiences and discussed the implementation of sustainability practices in their respective destinations. On the second day, GSTC-certified trainers delivered a full-day of training for hoteliers and tour operators on the GSTC criteria. H.E. Mr. Paul Seger, Ambassador of the Embassy of Switzerland in Myanmar as well as U Ohn Myint, Deputy Director General, Directorate of Hotels and Tourism (MoHT) attended the first day of the Forum and delivered remarks to highlight the importance of the event in promoting sustainable practices in Myanmar. More than 160 representatives from hotels, officials from MoHT, key associations from the Myanmar Tourism Federation, development partners and community based stakeholders that are supporting sustainable tourism in the country joined this event. The first day of the forum was held in a conference style, where national and international experts shared their experiences and discussed the implementation of sustainability practices in their respective destinations. On the second day, GSTC-certified trainers delivered a full-day of training for hoteliers and tour operators on the GSTC criteria.