Building ‘Green Boutique’ Tours in Myanmar: Swe’s Story

Sampan Travel‘s Co-Founder, Swe Zin Thet, talks about creating a boutique tour operator focusing on sustainable travel in Myanmar.

Photo Credit: Ben Frederick

Who is your target audience at Sampan Travel?

Sampan Travel offers bespoke tours for anyone, but most of our guests are middle-aged travelers – the kids have moved out so now they finally have a bit more cash and a bit more time! Travelers who like comfortable hotels, but who are keen to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty in Myanmar.

What inspired you to create Sampan Travel?

After working for bigger companies for a while, I was keen to do my own thing.

I wanted to create a good company structure that I hadn’t seen before. I wanted to build up a team that was empowered. I believe that if you give staff responsibility, they begin achieving much more for the entire company.

How did you build your startup?

I partnered with a British man who was looking to start something in Myanmar. I had the contacts and knowledge in the tourism industry and he provided the financial backing and a more refined knowledge of what Europeans would want to get out of a trip to Myanmar.

What makes Sampan Travel different from other tour operators?

We describe ourselves as ‘Green Boutique’ – bringing together luxury and sustainable travel. By ‘boutique’ we mean that we offer a tailor-made, attentive, intimate and round-the-clock services to our guests, both in the planning and preparation period and when they are here in Myanmar.

Being luxurious and sustainable – being ‘green boutique’ – is not an oxymoron. By traveling in small groups, diversifying the products we offer and the partners we work with, by picking carefully where we travel to, and how we travel, we are able to offer a trip that is both responsible and high-end. And I believe we are the only ones doing that in Myanmar.

Photo Credit: Ben Frederick

How is Sampan Travel changing the future of the industry or helping to make travel better?

We have noticed that our attention to detail and our divergence in terms of the itineraries offered has sparked a chain reaction in our suppliers – they have begun to change the things they offer, diversifying their products, and not simply offering more of the same old stuff.

In terms of sustainable tourism, we are one of only a handful of tour operators that have been certified by an international body. As other tour operators come to see how important this is to tourists, they will hopefully follow in our footsteps. Similarly, there are very few hotels here working towards sustainability. As they come to see how important this is for both independent travelers and travel agents when choosing a hotel, they will hopefully raise their game too.

Do you have any tips for new entrepreneurs who want to create a successful startup?

I will just say, do it! Do it yourself and you don’t have to wait for other people to come around to your way of seeing things. Just do it!

Photo Credit: Ben Frederick

Travel Start-Up is a monthly series that profiles unique online travel startups in the Travel Massive community around the world. You can connect with Sampan Travel on Travel Massive, Twitter and Facebook.