Second Award Ceremony held at Chatrium Hotel
Myanmar Responsible Tourism Awards 2018

MRTA 2018 winner

HSF

The official awards ceremony was held at the Chatrium Hotel in Yangon on 11th December 2018. This marks the second year of the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Awards. The evening started off with an opening speech by U Naing Win, Director MoHT Yangon, followed by Ko Nyunt, Chairman of the Myanmar Responsible Tourism Institute (MRTI), which organises the awards and a welcoming speech by YuYu Naing, Private Sector Development Adviser, Department for International Development (DFID). The Awards intend to encourage change in the industry and to single out for recognition those who are taking responsibility and can evidence that they are having a positive impact towards responsible and sustainable tourism in Myanmar. In addition, the winners also promote the unique environment, culture and people of Myanmar.

This year's event location

HSF

MRTI awarded seven winners in six different categories. Each applicant went through a shortlisting process. After this, shortlisted candidates were visited on-site by assessors, who verified the claims made in their application, followed by an independent judging panel meeting to identify the winners. The judging panel consisted of seven travel and tourism experts. These standards can be seen as unique features in the sector of award ceremonies in Myanmar.

This year’s categories have been: Best Responsible Tourism Accommodation (Inle Princess Resort), Best Tourism Product for Empowerment (Inle Canoe Lady), Best Responsible Tourism Operator (Newcomer) (Myanmar Adventure Outfitters), Best Responsible Tourism Operator (Sampan Travel), Best Community Involvement in Tourism (Ayeyarwady Dolphin Conservation and Ecotourism), Best Tourism Business Innovation (Inle Horse Club), Best Responsible Tourism Awareness Raising Project (Green Hill Valley Elephant Care Camp).