John Farrell

You are one talk away from what every it is for you want to do…………. Tonight’s talk is not about the basics of giving a talk, you can learn in a book. We are also not going to cover training skills and techniques. If you’re a member of toastmaster you can learn, about voice control, structure, how to stand and connect with an audience. This is presenting 102, how to make Nerves your friend. Develop power in your speaking voice talk and Body Language. Establish Rapport, taking control of your stage. We are here for something different, a little more challenging, a bit more advanced. ………..

This is Burma, and it will be quite unlike any land you know about” Rudyard Kipling - Letters from the Far East 1898 The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation arrived in Burma in 1850’s trading tea, and by the 1870’s the company held a monopoly on the export of teak. as well as cotton, oil exploration and shipping. Transportation around a country larger than France meant the Irrawaddy was the natural highway of the country & key to the prosperity of Burma connecting to a developing trade between New Zealand and England. In 1863 Colonel Phayre offered the river route to private enterprise and the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation became The Irrawaddy Flotilla & Burmese Steam Navigation Company By the early 29th century the IFC had over 500 boats, and more than 20 boats a day left Rangoon for all parts of the country. ………..

Marine tourism arrivals increased significantly before 2020, but what now? In 2017 the Burmese government declared 2 million inbound tourists, with only a half dozen 5* hotels in Yangon demand saw high prices in the last few years. By 2019 a dozen resorts had opened in the southern Archipelago alone, to serve the marine, tourism industry. Yachts bring the highest return per head of any tourism group. With 30,000miles2 to explore, diving is world class, some very remote locations are not even mapped. For the casual snorkeler there is plenty to see, corals, tiger & leopard sharks. While on the 800 islands tourists encounters include, wild boar, barking deer, tapir, mouse deer, and more. ………..