Tanintharyi tourism committee to draft master plan
A Tanintharyi development committee, operating under the tourism ministry and chaired by local tycoon Serge Pun, is drawing up a master plan for sustainable tourism in the region. Tanintharyi boasts the Myeik archipelago, a cluster of more than 800 largely untouched islands that hold huge potential as a draw for international visitors. In order to help plot a careful and sustainable path for tourism development the government has formed a Tanintharyi Tourism Development Committee, made up tourism ministry officials and private sector representatives. U Myo Myint, acting deputy director general of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, said the committee was formed in late December, and hopes it will help the region find success as a tourist destination without sacrificing the environment. “We want [Tanintharyi] to be successful like Phuket [in Thailand] but we don’t want to be over-visited like Phuket,” he said.
