Samkar, 16th February 2019 – On the 16th of February in Shan State, the “Samkar Kham Community Lodge and Restaurant” was inaugurated as part of the “Economic Promotion of Inle Communities through cultural and natural heritage valorization (EPIC)” project, co-funded by AICS and implemented by the Italian NGO ICEI.
The one million Euro project aims at facilitating the economic promotion of communities through the enhancement of their cultural and natural heritage. The area of Lake Samkar, just next to Inle Lake in Shan State, is rich in stunning nature and unique cultural heritage.
During the opening ceremony, the Recognition Certificate for CBT (Community Based Tourism) was delivered to the local communities’ representatives by Shan State authorities. Local communities around Samkar Lake are the main stakeholders of the initiative, and through this project they received intensive trainings and workshops in order to be inscribed as Community Based Tourism organizations to become part of a governmental programme which combines tourism and sustainability.
Having Her Excellency Ms. Alessandra Schiavo, Italian Ambassador to Myanmar, present at the launch ceremony underlined the great significance of this initiative within the Italian strategy for development cooperation.
Italy and Myanmar have a long-lasting diplomatic relationship and Myanmar remains a priority country for development cooperation. The promotion of sustainable tourism based on an inclusive bottom-up approach is well placed in the overall Italian commitment to Myanmar, which identifies tourism and protection of natural and cultural heritage critical for achieving sustainable development.
The inauguration of the Samkar Kham Community Lodge is the result of a long, successful and productive collaboration between different stakeholders, local institutions and international organizations.
AICS Yangon expressed its appreciation for the Myanmar authorities, the local communities, ICEI and other stakeholders for the joint commitment to the sustainable tourism management of this unique and spectacular area. It is another step toward models of sustainable, responsible tourism, and as always, seeks to encourage awareness, social cohesion, inclusion and cultural diversity.