BIODIVERSITY
TURTLES THRIVE AT A LUXURY RESORT
WA ALE ISLAND, MYANMAR
Photo: Norbert Braun / Unsplash
The very thing that draws people to a place can be the thing at greatest risk of disappearing. When you visit a locale to soak in its natural splendor, remember to also look after that environment, including choosing conscientious accommodations. One resort on Wa Ale Island, Myanmar, established a foundation to protect the area’s popular turtles and other vulnerable animals and plants.
What's
changing
The remote Myeik Archipelago is home to more than 1,000 recorded plant and animal species. Many of them are protected yet threatened by human development and activity where they live.
What's already
possible
On Wa Ale Island, Myanmar, the luxury Wa Ale Resort’s team established the Lampi Foundation, which invests a portion of the resort’s ecotourism profits to drive conservation projects at the nearby Lampi Marine National Park and to support the local fishing community.
Seizing
the opportunity
The Wa Ale Resort pledges to donate 20% of its net profits each year and 2% of its room revenue to the Lampi Foundation. As part of its conservation initiatives, the foundation developed the first turtle hatchery in Lampi Marine National Park to protect vulnerable nesting green, hawksbill and leatherback sea turtles. Guest researchers and specialists looking for a more active role during their visits to the marine national park can find research opportunities through the Lampi Foundation. The resort itself was constructed with sustainability in mind, using local labor and materials.
Standout
tactic
The Lampi Foundation regularly donates medicine, school supplies and equipment to the local villages of Salet Galet and Ma Kyone Galet. In 2020, the foundation continued to pay the salary for a village medic to keep the clinic open despite the resort being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
How
it helps
The turtle hatchery built by the foundation in the Lampi Marine National Park has released more than 500 sea turtles into the wild since it was established and continues to participate in turtle monitoring and conservation. Foundation-run outreach programs tie into community conservation goals by teaching local children about reducing ocean waste and protecting native wildlife.
Diving
deeper
Does offering a foreign-owned luxury experience in the remote wilderness of Myanmar heighten the lifestyle disparity between guests and the surrounding community, especially during times of political unrest? How can local cultures address the challenges of outside influence as more visitors come to this once remote region?
Increasing
impact
With the success of the turtle hatchery, We Ale Resort and the Lampi Foundation could extend their conservation efforts to other islands or spearhead more initiatives to highlight other vulnerable species protected by the Lampi Marine National Park, such as the hornbill birds that call the forests of We Ale Island home.
Traveling
better
Travel is inherently carbon intensive. Whether you are taking a mini-break or an annual vacation, consider ways to minimize your impact by staying longer in one place, reconsidering how you travel to the destination, and supporting businesses that are working to make their community and the world a better place.
