The Vital Role of Institutional Capacity Interrelation with Impact of Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study of Inle Region, Myanmar

Authors

  • Thet Lwin Toh Lincoln University College, Wisma Lincoln, No. 12-18, Jalan SS 6/12, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
  • Amiya Bhaumik Lincoln University College, Wisma Lincoln, No. 12-18, Jalan SS 6/12, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
  • Midhun Chakkaravarthy Lincoln University College, Wisma Lincoln, No. 12-18, Jalan SS 6/12, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
  • Sui Reng Liana Lincoln University College, Wisma Lincoln, No. 12-18, Jalan SS 6/12, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31674/ijrtbt.2024.v08i01.003

Abstract

This article intends to discuss the relationship between institutional capacity and the impact of sustainable tourism development beyond COVID-19 pandemics and political instability as a case study of the Inle region, Myanmar. According to the World Tourism Organization, direct tourism jobs (between 100 to 120 million) and related services industries (144 million workers worldwide) are currently at risk. Although Myanmar’s tourism industry directly supported 570,000 jobs (2.5% of total employment) in 2017, those good results turned the whole tourism industry upside down beyond 2020. Especially, carrying capacity in the tourism sector is facing huge challenges due to a shortage of the tourism workforce. Meanwhile, most tourism-skilled laborers are no longer in the right position because of brain drain and survival situations.

The data for this study were mainly collected from secondary sources, like data issued by government authorities in Myanmar. Besides, the author interviewed the leading local service providers in private sector institutions stationed in the Inle Lake region.

Moreover, there are two issues to be found: (1) economic downsize due to fewer tourists arriving; and (2) shortage of skilled laborers in the tourism sector is being caused by the impact of institutional capacity, which is to be affected by sustainable tourism development by analyzing the qualitative research approach. However, not only the public sector but also private sector institutions are continuously emphasizing capacity-building issues as recommendations.

Hence, the industry and its workforce can find motivation and work towards rebuilding and shaping a more resilient tourism sector.

Keywords:

Capacity Building, Institutions, Sustainable Tourism Development

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ajitsa, A. (2023). Tourism in Thailand Statistics 2023: All You Need to Know. Bangkok: GoWithGuidetravel.https://gowithguide.com/blog/tourism-in-thailand-statistics-2023-all-you-need-to-know-5250. Accessed on 27th February, 2022.

Al Jazeera. (2022). Myanmar lost 1.6 million jobs in 2021 amid COVID, coup: ILO. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/1/28/myanmar-lost-1-6-million-jobs-in-2021-amid-covid-coup-ilo Accessed on 27th March, 2022.

Asian Development Bank (June 2020), COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support

Program: Impact of CoVID-19 on Thailand’s Tourism Sector. https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/tha-54177-001-rrp. Accessed on 12th March, 2021.

An, M. I. I. D., & Robertson, B. (2014). Hotel Industry Economic Assessment: Destination Management Plan for the Inlay Lake Region Project Area. https://www.mmiid.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Hotel-Industry-Economic-Assessment-Destination-Management-Plan-for-the-Inlay-Lake-Region.pdf.

Aung, M. (2019). Strategies to Survive and Thrive of Myanmar Tourism GDP: Case Study of Bagan Tourism. International Journal on Recent Trends in Business and Tourism (IJRTBT), 3(1), 16-21. https://ejournal.lucp.net/index.php/ijrtbt/article/view/90/76

Biswas, R. (2023, May 26). S&P Global Market Intelligence. https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/mi/research-analysis/thailands-economy-rebounds-in-early-2023-as-tourism-surges-may23.html Accessed on March 16th March, 2022.

Booyens, I. (2020). Education and Skills in Tourism: Implications for Youth Employment in South Africa. Development Southern Africa, 37(5), 825-839. https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2020.1725447

Chansawang, R. (2010). Local Government Capacity and Tourism Development in Thailand. Sheffield Hallam University (United Kingdom). https://www.proquest.com/openview/5f11d44684c24df77c102903d73567b5/1?pqorigsite=gscholar&cbl=2026366. Accessed on 11th April, 2022.

Domorenok, E., Graziano, P., & Polverari, L. (2021). Introduction: Policy Integration and Institutional Capacity: Theoretical, Conceptual And Empirical Challenges. Policy and Society, 40(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2021.1902058

Htet, A., Liana, S. R., Aung, T., & Bhaumik, A. (2023). The Impact of Learning Management System on Learning Process in Myanmar: Student Perspective. Journal of Engineering Education and Pedagogy, 1(2), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.56855/jeep.v1i2.686.

Idrus, S. H., & Akib, H. (2023). Local Wisdom-Based Tourism: Towards Sustainable Tourism in Kendari, Indonesia, the Capital of Southeast Sulawesi. International Journal on Recent Trends in Business and Tourism (IJRTBT), 7(2), 38-50. https://doi.org/10.31674/ijrtbt.2023.v07i02.004

International Labour Organization. (2022). Employment in Myanmar in 2021: A Rapid Assessment. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---ilo-yangon/documents/publication/wcms_835900.pdf Accessed on 12th April, 2022.

Ivy Alliance Tourism Consulting (2020), Survey Report on Chinese Tourists’ Travel Intent After the End of COVID-19 Epidemic., China Comfort Travel Group and the Pacific Asia Travel Association. https://www.scribd.com/document/476391089/Survey-Report-on-Chinese-Tourists-Travel-Intent-After-The-End-of-COVID-19-Epidemic-pdf

ICIMOD, M. (2017). A multi-dimensional assessment of ecosystems and ecosystem services at Inle Lake, Myanmar. ICIMOD Working Paper 2017/17. ICIMOD, Kathmandu. https://lib.icimod.org/record/32745 Accessed on 12th March, 2023.

Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. (2023). Tourism Stellate Account reported by Directorate of Hotels and Tourism Office, Shan State, Myanmar. https://tourism.gov.mm/statistics/ Accessed on 22nd May, 2023.

Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. (2022). Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar Tourism Statistics. https://tourism.gov.mm/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Myanmar-Tourism-Statistcs-2022.pdf Accessed on 5th June, 2023.

Nortajuddin. (2020, July 28). THE ASEAN POST. ASEAN Focusing on Domestic Tourism., https://theaseanpost.com/article/asean-focusing-domestic-tourism. Accessed on 12th February, 2023.

Singh A. (2023) Thailand Business News, https://www.thailand-business-news.com/tourism/97871-tourism-authority-of-thailand-tat-expects-25-million-visitors-in-2023

Tsuruga, I.& Quarina,Q. (2023). Who pays the price of unemployment? Employment termination and income security in Myanmar, Yangon: International Labour Office. https://www.ilo.org/yangon/publications/WCMS_889971/lang--en/index.html . Accessed on 15th July, 2023.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) News (2023). https://www.tatnews.org/2023/01 Accessed on 18th July, 2023.

United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2022). Secretary-General’s Policy Brief on Tourism and COVID-19. https://www.unwto.org/tourism-and-covid-19-unprecedented-economic-impacts Accessed on 10th April, 2022.

Ubenova, R. (2022). ILO Brief-Employment in Myanmar in 2021: A Rapid Assessment

Background. https://policycommons.net/artifacts/8744933/ilo-brief-employment-in-myanmar-in-2021/9675790/ Accessed on 9th August, 2023.

Published

15-01-2024

How to Cite

Toh, T. L., Bhaumik, A. ., Chakkaravarthy, M. ., & Liana, S. R. (2024). The Vital Role of Institutional Capacity Interrelation with Impact of Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study of Inle Region, Myanmar. International Journal on Recent Trends in Business and Tourism (IJRTBT), 8(1), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.31674/ijrtbt.2024.v08i01.003

Metrics

Most read articles by the same author(s)