The key objective of this assignment was to analyze the potential of (eco-)tourism in the Gulf of Mottama (GoM) in Myanmar. It is an integral part of the Gulf of Mottama Project (GoMP) that aims to secure livelihoods and coastal natural resources along the GoM.

This final report is the result of an extensive field and desk research during December 2019 and March 2020, led by a team of local and international consultants. The results are based on a long list of potential and existing touristic sites and activities which were identified and assessed as well as on interviews with different stakeholders.

It is understood that most tour operators already operate in the GoM region but only few of them offer products beyond the classic touristic sites of Bago, Golden Rock and Mawlamyine. This analysis looks beyond these sites to identify potential for (eco-)tourism.

The lack of infrastructure and restrictions for foreigners pose a challenge to the GoM region with regard to potential tourism development. Another challenge is to create more demand to relatively low numbers of tourists visiting the GoM. A proper planning and involvement of different stakeholders to overcome these challenges is therefore seen as crucial before further development of any touristic site.

Preliminary findings were presented to and discussed with the GoMP in February 2019. It was then agreed to proceed with three sites for further analysis, which present the core of this report. For these sites, one being located in Bago Region and two in Mon State, an in-depth situation analysis was conducted.

The situation analysis focuses on Community Involvement in Tourism (CIT) and Ecotourism as two forms of tourism that sustain the well-being of the local people and conserve the environment, both targeting the main outcomes of the GoMP. CIT is an alternative concept of Community Based Tourism (CBT) which is advised by the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism (MoHT) in Myanmar and other stakeholders in a policy paper. Further steps and recommendations suggested for the analyzed sites are aligned with the policy paper on CIT as well as Myanmar’s Ecotourism Policy