ABSTRACT
This chapter will describe how informal, facilitated meetings during the initial phase of the case study on tourism and peace have provided a platform for earlier rivalled stakeholders to convene and work towards a common goal: the development of tourism in a post-conflict/ceasefire area in Kayin State. The rationale behind this approach is the perception that economic development and the identification of income-generating opportunities that benefit the local population in particular are prerequisites in supporting and consolidating the peace-building process. The chapter begins with an overview of tourism development in Myanmar over the past few decades, and of the geography and history of Thandaung Gyi. This is followed by a description of the theoretical concept of stakeholder dialogues and peace-building. Next, it provides an in-depth explanation of the application and evolution of the tourism stakeholder process in Thandaung Gyi and a description of its tourism’s assets and benefits. The chapter closes with a summary of key lessons that hopefully will be applied in the future in other post-conflict areas of Myanmar, because this case study outlines ‘a model for applying community-driven tourism as a tool for peace-building, and highlights its strengths and weaknesses for those who might seek to replicate it’ (Carr, 2016, p. 2).
