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| Photo: XINHUA |
Myanmar is courting tourists, especially those from China－and its efforts seem to be paying off.
Total visitor arrivals in the first 10 months of 2019 increased 24 percent year-on-year to 35.2 million, according to Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. But Chinese tourists recorded the largest relative increase of 161 percent year-on-year.
The hike is partly thanks to the visa-on-arrival policy for Chinese nationals effective from October in 2018 for a two-year period. Local tour guides have been encouraged to learn Mandarin since 2017. Private kindergartens are also teaching Mandarin－a previously unprecedented move.
The country is in the process of making the next Tourism Master Plan for 2020 to 2030.
“We are being supported by the Luxembourg Agency for Development Cooperation to do this,” said Maung Maung Kyaw, director general of the directorate of hotels and tourism at the ministry.
“Broadly speaking, we are looking at creating new tourism destinations as well as building on labor and infrastructure capabilities to support the industry.”
The Myanmar Tourism Federation, or MTF, a private sector launched in 2011, launched the Myanmar Tourism Bank last year, with five percent of its profits feeding back into the tourism industry.
The initiatives by the MTF include starting a WeChat account, making videos of the country’s attractions, and publishing books and guides to be made available in China.
“We also attend travel shows in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Kunming to promote Myanmar to the Chinese,” explained U Yan Win, MTF chairman.
Maung Maung Kyaw said: “I hope that tourism becomes an important source of tax revenue for Myanmar.”
Stretching approximately 2,000 kilometers lengthwise, Myanmar has everything from snow-capped peaks in the north to virgin tropical islands in the south.
“At the moment, most tourists come and stay in Myanmar for an average of three days, visiting primarily Mandalay, Bagan, and sometimes Inle Lake,” said U Yan Win.
A key priority for the MTF is to promote the country as an ecotourism destination.
He points to the lesser developed northern regions of the country, such as the Hukaung Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Kachin State, known as a tiger reserve area.
In the same state is the Khakaborazhi National Park－with a mountain of the same name that is an extension of the Himalayas and the highest in the country at 5,881 meters. It also provides trekking trails with views of snowcapped mountains.
The MTF has aspirations to develop the southern regions of the country too, particularly the Tanintharyi Region.
“There are virgin islands, pristine diving sites, unparalleled marine biodiversity and fresh seafood. However, at the moment, only budget travelers visit as there is not much tourism infrastructure,” said U Yan Win.
“We are looking for opportunities to develop the area, such as build five-star hotels.” he said, referring to places like the Mergui Archipelago and Myeik city.
Read the full article at Encs.cn: http://www.ecns.cn/travel/news/2020-01-20/detail-ifzsuknk2868341.shtml
Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office
c/o 3rd Floor, Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 154 Rama 1 Road, National Stadium, Wangmai, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Web: www.mekongtourism.org
Tel: +66 2038 5071-1
Mobile: +66 8555 44234, +66 8098 95853
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