The plan was launched by the Institute for International Development and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, with support from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and the Government of Luxembourg, IID-Myanmar said in a news release on March 13.

The launch of the plan was marked by the establishment of a Project Advisory Committee of Union and regional stakeholders from the public and private sector at the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism in Nay Pyi Taw the same day, the release said.

It will be followed by a meeting in Nyaung Shwe on March 17 which will include participants from the local tourism industry, the release said. Other activities will include developing a visitor forecast model, preparing guidelines for sustainable tourism development, training in tourism planning and conducting tourist surveys in the region.

IID-Myanmar, a non-profit research and development organisation associated with the international IID network, said the launch of the plan follows research highlighting the need for a sustainable tourist management plan that included Inlay Lake as well the surrounding hill regions.

Inlay Lake is one of Myanmar’s prime tourist destinations and has been attracting increasing numbers of visitors in recent years. At least 100,000 foreign tourists and a similar number of Myanmar travelled to the lake in 2012, giving a minimum base of 200,000 visitors a year, the release said.

“Through our research, which included extensive consultations in the Inlay Region, we found people, environment and infrastructure quite unprepared for this rapid increase in tourism … there should be more focus on providing training and employment for local people,” said MrJoern Kristensen, the director of IID-Myanmar.

In late January, President U Thein Sein approved the formation of an authority to oversee the protection of the lake’s environment.

The creation of the Inlay Lake Conservation Authority had been recommended in a report submitted to the government by IID-Myanmar in November 2012.