BANGKOK, 23 June 2026, Myanmar-Tourism is often measured in numbers: Visitor arrivals, hotel occupancy, length of stay and tourism receipts. Yet throughout the Mekong Tourism Forum 2026, held in Yangon, Myanmar, under the theme “Tourism for People, Travel with Purpose”, a different conversation emerged.
What if tourism success were measured not only by how many people visit a destination, but by how it improves lives, strengthens communities, protects culture, and creates opportunities for future generations?
Those questions sat at the heart of two of the forum’s most engaging discussions: “People at the Centre of Tourism” and “Living Culture & Creative Expression.”
While the sessions explored different themes, together they painted a compelling picture of what tourism’s future could look like across the Greater Mekong Subregion.
One focused on people.
The other focused on culture.
Both arrived at the same conclusion. Tourism works best when communities remain at its heart.
Tourism begins with people
Moderated by Graham Harper, Director of Clickable Impact, the “People at the Centre of Tourism” panel brought together leaders working on the front lines of entrepreneurship, workforce development, accessibility, and community empowerment.
What made the discussion particularly compelling was that the panellists were not speaking from theory. They were speaking from experience.
As CEO and Founder of Women Transforming Myanmar, Thiri Aung works with a network of more than 5,000 women entrepreneurs across Myanmar.
Through mentoring, leadership development, networking, and business support, the organisation helps women build sustainable enterprises and stronger communities.
Drawing from that experience, Thiri argued that inclusion must extend beyond participation. Women need access to markets, finance, skills, and professional networks. They need a voice in decision-making. And they need opportunities to lead.
“Invest in women, when women thrive, communities thrive,” she said.
The conversation then turned to tourism’s next generation. Representing the Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality & Catering (ASSET-H&C), Ha Phan spoke about the importance of creating career pathways for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Operating through a network of vocational training centres and social enterprises across Southeast Asia, ASSET-H&C helps learners develop professional hospitality skills alongside communication, English language proficiency, digital literacy, leadership capabilities, mentoring, and career guidance.
For Ha, workforce development is about far more than filling vacancies.
“I often say that a job placement is an outcome, but a career pathway is an impact.”
Her remarks challenged delegates to think beyond employment statistics and focus instead on long-term human development.
“The future of sustainable tourism depends not only on where people travel, but on how we invest in the people who welcome them.”
The discussion then shifted toward inclusion.
In Kampot, Cambodia, Epic Arts has become internationally recognised for demonstrating how disability inclusion can be woven into everyday life through tourism, hospitality, arts, and community development.
Leading that work is Sokny Onn. As CEO of Epic Arts and a member of Yale University’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, Sokny challenged delegates to rethink how accessibility is discussed within tourism.
“Disability inclusion is a right, not a favour. It is not charity. People with disabilities are equal citizens, customers, workers, artists, entrepreneurs, and leaders.”
Through initiatives such as Epic Arts Café, Epic Creations, and Epic Arts Dance, people with disabilities are not treated as beneficiaries. They are professionals, artists, creators, and leaders.
For Sokny, people-centred tourism should create more than jobs. It should create dignity.
“Inclusive tourism is not only about making places accessible for people with disabilities to visit. It is also about creating pathways for them to work, create, lead, and be recognised as equal contributors to culture, community, society, and the economy.”
Her closing observation left a lasting impression.
“When people with disabilities lead, tourism becomes more than an industry. It becomes a platform for dignity, equality, and change.”
The final perspective came from Koko Tang, Founder of Colorful Earth and Head of Global Impact Measurement at the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance.
Working at the intersection of biodiversity conservation, local livelihoods, and tourism development, Koko challenged delegates to consider a simple but powerful question: Who gets a voice?
Drawing on her experience in Yunnan and biodiversity-based tourism initiatives, she argued that conservation and community empowerment should never be treated as separate goals. Culture, biodiversity, local livelihoods, and tourism are deeply interconnected.
She also encouraged destinations to rethink how success is measured.
“If we say tourism puts people at the centre, we need to measure not only who benefits economically, but also who has a voice, whether that voice is representative, and whether it actually influences decisions.”
For Koko, tourism should do more than market destinations.
“Tourism should not only promote places; it should help steward them as living landscapes.”
Taken together, the panel offered a powerful reminder that people-centred tourism requires more than good intentions. It requires opportunity, inclusion, leadership, participation, and long-term investment in communities.
Living culture belongs to people
If the first discussion explored who benefits from tourism, the second asked a different question: What are we trying to protect?
The author of this report, Dr Scott Smith of Assumption University, moderated the “Living Culture & Creative Expression” panel, which brought together speakers working in heritage conservation, community tourism, cultural preservation, and sustainable development.
The discussion featured Ohnmar Myo of SEAMEO SPAFA, Maulita Sari Hani of Planeterra, Thuy An Phan of Thai Hai Village in Vietnam, and Zhu Jinsheng (“Jason”) of Guilin Tourism University.
Together, they explored how tourism can support living culture rather than display it.
“Culture is not something we place behind glass,” said Dr Scott Smith. “It is something people live, share, protect, adapt, and carry forward. Tourism has a responsibility to support that process, not interrupt it.”
Ohnmar Myo emphasised that heritage is not confined to museums, monuments, or historic sites. It lives in communities. It survives through traditions, stories, skills, beliefs, and the people who pass them from one generation to the next.
Her contribution reminded delegates that cultural preservation depends not only on protecting physical assets but also on supporting the communities that keep traditions alive.
Maulita Sari Hani brought the perspective of Planeterra, a global organisation that supports community tourism enterprises worldwide.
Drawing from her experience working with local communities, she highlighted how tourism can create long-term social, environmental, and economic benefits when communities remain active participants rather than passive beneficiaries.
Her message reinforced a recurring theme throughout the forum: successful tourism development happens with communities, not to them.
Perhaps the most heartfelt contribution came from Thuy An Phan of Thai Hai Village, recognised by UN Tourism as one of the world’s Best Tourism Villages.
Representing a community often described as a “Village of Love,” Thuy An spoke about the values that have shaped Thai Hai’s success.
Rather than focusing solely on tourism products or visitor experiences, she emphasised relationships: among people, with culture, and with nature.
“With love, we can do anything. Love creates our village. Love for nature can create meaningful tourism.”
The simplicity of her message resonated deeply. In a tourism industry often focused on growth, her remarks served as a reminder that care, connection, and community remain powerful foundations for sustainable development.
The discussion concluded with insights from Zhu Jinsheng (“Jason”) of Guilin Tourism University.
Drawing on his academic and professional experience, Jason emphasised the importance of ensuring that tourism remains rooted in local identity and community participation.
While destinations may evolve and visitor expectations may change, successful tourism must continue to respect the people, traditions, and cultural values that make places unique.
A shared vision for tourism’s future
Although the two discussions explored different themes, they shared a common thread.
The first focused on opportunity.
The second focused on identity.
One asked how tourism can benefit people.
The other asked how tourism can help preserve what communities value most.
Together, they offered a broader definition of tourism success.
Success is not measured only by arrivals and revenue. It is measured through opportunity, inclusion, dignity, stewardship, culture, and community voice.
An interesting observation emerged during the discussions. Seven of the eight featured panellists across both sessions were women. This was not a planned theme. Rather, it reflected the many women leading important work in entrepreneurship, accessibility, workforce development, cultural preservation, community tourism, and destination stewardship throughout the region.
As delegates departed Yangon, they carried with them more than notes and business cards.
They left with examples of people-centred tourism already taking shape across the Mekong region: women entrepreneurs building stronger communities, young people creating new futures, people with disabilities leading change, communities preserving culture through tourism, and destinations balancing conservation and development.
Different stories.
Different places.
One shared vision.
Tourism succeeds not simply when more people visit, but when more people have the opportunity to shape, benefit from, and take pride in its future.
(Source: Dr Scott Smith)
