Myanmar has to face tourism issues

Myanmar is going to have to face a rise in orphanages and child sex tourism. These are the emerging issues in not only Myanmar but also the Mekong countries.

According to the recent tourism’s influence appraisal conducted by the Institute for Human Rights and Business, the Danish Institute for Human Rights and the Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business, children are really susceptible to the negative influence generated from tourism. What can be learned from the neighboring countries, especially Thailand and Cambodia is that we should put more focus on raising the awareness of both tourists and tour operators.

Mr. Naung Naung Han, a member of Myanmar Tourism Federation executive stated that

Child sex tourism was a problem in the country but not really a huge one yet. He also said the issue needed to be controlled before it got more serious.

He has just gave a speech at a golf tournament where the golfers requested young female partner from a KTV which recruited young girl from the age of 14 to 16 years old for sexual services. He declared that child sex was illegal but the case was that there was no law about it at KTVs.

The rapid expansion of tourism had a bad influence on not only children but also the environment.

There is a suggestion that the Government make up plans to control the bad influence that tourism has on the children and the environment.

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Myanmar’s Bank for tourism is waiting for approval

A new Tourism Development Bank in Myanmar has been kept waiting for the permission from the Central Bank. The new bank is established with an aim to finance tourism SMEs and travel projects.
Mr. Than Tin, the managing director of Myanmar Tourism Bank, stated that he had hoped that they would get the license in May but the Central Bank had not approved the permission yet.

He also added that if permitted, there would be not only one bank in Nay Pyi Taw but also two others in Yangon and Mandalay.

The new bank will help travel companies with their technology and finance. The first bank is established in the capital city probably because travel projects need to be approved by the Government.

The government has previously approved the establishment of a public company formed to sell shares and manage and join tourism – related events.

This project is believed to be not only devoted to tourism but also to those related projects.
Ministry of Hotels and Tourism Statistics has released the statistics showing that the country has earned more than USD920 million from tourism in 2013 and over USD 1 billion in 2014.

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B&Bs in Myanmar

There are going to be bed and breakfast establishments opened in the remote regions of Myanmar once the tourism law was passed.

The first B&B might appear in Thandaung Gyi, a small beautiful town in the North of Kayin State.
Mr. U Win Kyaw, the Minister of Tourism Department in Hpa-an, Kayin State, told the local media that there had already been some operators ready to offer B&Bs. 7 operators in Thandaung Gyi are ready to offer guests B&Bs. He also added that B&Bs were advised to be located separately from houses and there had to be at least 4 rooms for tourist to accommodate conveniently.

Mr. Myo Win Nyunt, the director of Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, stated that the tourism law hadn’t been submitted yet and the Ministry didn’t have the right to issue licences for B&Bs.

However, if the Immigration Department or the Government approved, B&Bs can be opened as long as they are located away from cities and hotels.

This idea of B&Bs is sure to boost Tourism in this country since this would be a perfect choice for visitors with tight budgets.

Mr. U Khin Aung Htun, the joint secretary of Myanmar Tourism Federation, recommended that B&Bs be allowed in Chin states, Kayah and Shan, where the locals would love to provide such type of travel service.

However, these B&B establishments will have to be checked carefully by the authorities to make sure that they satisfy the standards of sanitary and safety.

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Parliament welcomes public

The Parliament in Nay Pyi Taw has welcomed around 200 tourists in the last 3 months.

The Director of Hotels and Tourism claimed that the majority of visitors coming to the Parliament are from Europe and he believed that this would help tourism in the city develop better in the years around.

There are more than 8,000 international standard hotel rooms but only 20 to 30 % of them were used.

Visitors are allowed to visit the Parliament from last April but they have to comply with really strict rules. Visitors have to contact the travel agents which will apply for permission from the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism for each visit afterwards.

The application process need to be completed and submitted five days before the visit.

The official said that there was no entrance fee then but they were about to collect fees in the future.

The Parliament being open to public was a part of the marketing plan in order to enhance tourism in the city. There were 60 hotels built in the last 3 years and an international airport opened in 2014 .

Around 100,000 visitors have been welcomed to Nay Pyi Taw last year.

The temple and white elephants are the main tourist attractions here, but opening the Parliament proves that they are going on the right road. Not until April were there tour buses stopped at the gate of the Parliament.

The fact that the ASEAN Tourism Forum being held in the city last January really made the authority more fascinated in boosting tourism in this country. There were numerous suggestions were presented at the side – line meeting on the way to enhance Nay Pyi Taw’s attractions and opening the Parliament to public was one of those.

The effort of boosting tourism can also be seen in transportation when a new route connecting Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw was opened last April.

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Plastic bags will become ‘extinct’ in Mandalay

Mandalay’s officials stated that they would discourage tourist establishments and shopping centers from using plastic shopping bags and courage them to use the environmentally friendly ones instead.

As reported by the Global New Light of Myanmar media, the development committee of Mandalay City had a discussion on how to become the city with no plastic bags with the owners of hotels, teashops, pubs and restaurants last week.

The city is currently facing a huge problem when the amount of household garbage is on the increase. The rapid development of tourism is also a cause for this rise.

Dr. Thwin Kyaw Kyaw, a member of MCDC, has set up plans to reduce the use of polyethylene and plastic bags in order to keep the cleanness of Mandalay.

If the plan really carries off, Mandalay would the first city in the Southeast Asia with no plastic bags.

Myanmar has been producing plastic bags for over 20 years. All the manufacturers have been forced to stamp the line ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ on every plastic bag since 2009.

Free non – recyclable plastic bags have been distributed in Mandalay in 2009 according to governmental programme. However, plastic bag is just a small part of the problem. Like the majority of tourist attractions with hundreds of five – star hotels in Southeast Asia, there is even a lack of elemental garbage collecting service.

The scene of a pile of rubbish with rats and flies is quite familiar to tourists visiting world – class cultural sites in this area. According to the report released by The Asia Development Bank’s Environmental Operations Centre in Bangkok in 2008, Myanmar is a country which has no awareness of environmental problems.

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Inle Lake is the new Biosphere Reserves

UNESCO has selected Inle Lake as one of the 20 additional destinations of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Inle Lake is the first destination of Myanmar to be listed on the list.

As reported by the Myanmar Times, the decision was made by International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme in Paris the week before.

MBA, which was established in 1970 by UNESCO, is an international governmental program. The program was set up with an aim to enhance the interaction between the nature and human.

l Biosphere reserves which are recommended by their own residents and designated by the UNESCO’s MBA programme reflect the reconciliation between the nature and human. There are additional reserves every year.

Currently, there are 651 destionations located in more than 120 countries.

Inle Lake biosphere reserve covers over 489,000 hectares. There are currently 43 species of turtles, clams and freshwater fish and 267 bird species including 82 types of wetland birds living in this lake. It is reported that the lake is the nesting place for the endangered Sarus crane.

The lake is an ideal illustration of how the locals change their lifestyle in order to protect the natural environment. Farmers of the Intha, one of the ethnic groups in the area are currently planting on floating island.

Inle Lake has already been an ASEAN heritage site for the diversity of ecosystems.

Visitors are advised to visit this beautiful freshwater lake in September and October. There are flights connecting Yangon and Mandalay. Heho, is the nearest airport to the lake, which is about 33 kilometers away.

Source: Myanmar tourism

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Myanmar is opening brand new duty – free outlets

A ten- year agreement between Singapore Windsor Holdings and DFS Group has been signed in order to open duty-free outlets at Nay Pyi Taw International Airport and Yangon International Airport.

DFS Group, which is majority owned by the luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is a Hong Kong travel retailer.

As reported by the Singapore Exchange (SGX), the duty-free outlet would be opened at the current arrival and departure terminal of Yangon International Airport and the larger one would be located at the new terminal of this Airport.

Almost 2000 square meters of duty – free outlet space will be managed at the two airports by the end of this year. However, the plan to operate duty-free services at Mandalay International Airport has not been mentioned yet.

The duty – free tobacco and alcohol have already been offered at Myanmar’s airport but still not achieve the international standards yet.

The headquarters of DFS are located in Hong Kong with offices situated in Tokyo, Los Angeles, Hawaii, Shanghai and Singapore.

Singapore Windsor is a Myanmar-focused and Singapore-listed company with interests in serviced offices, rental services, car hire and telecom infrastructure construction.

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Shwedagon needs protection

Specialists are calling on the government to protect Shwedagon Pagoda and the surrounding areas from over development.

Mr. Maw Lin, the vice president of the Association of Myanmar Architects stated that because of the historical and religious meaning of the pagoda, the government need to stay cautious when granting permissions for construction in this area.

A letter was sent from AMA to Mr. Thein Sein – the President, the ministers and the related ministries with an aim to call on the government for a protection project for the temple.

Dr Nyan Myint Kyaw, the civil professor of Yangon Technological University stated that although the pagoda had been strengthened in structure recently, there hasn’t been a survey on the pagoda’s underground water and foundation yet.

There is a suggestion that the surrounding areas be remained as a green area used for educational, recreational and cultural aims.

Visual pollution which is caused by the appearance of too many skyscrapers and offices is the main concern to the experts. This type of pollution deters tourists from having a good view of the temple.

Shwedagon Pagoda is one of the most famous temples and tourist sites in Yangon.

The pagoda welcomed over 500,000 foreign tourists in 2014.

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Myanmar concentrates on the southern islands

YANGON: As stated by the Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, 26 joint ventures and local companies are waiting for the approval from Government on the new hotel projects in Mergui Archipelago.

Currently, the Myanmar Investment Commission is inspecting 6 joint ventures and 20 local firms which are going to build resorts on the archipelago’s pristine islands, the Irrawaddy media reported.

The majority of the plans require the only one hotel on each island.

The two joint ventures named Moe Kant & Kyaw Win Phyo along with its foreign partners - United Resorts have already obtained the approval for building on Kyun Phila island and Ngakhin Nyogyi island.

Mr. Aung Zaw Win, the general director of Ministry of Hotels and Tourism stated that: “Many companies have applied to set up hotels in the Myeik [Mergui] islands since 2011, when the new government took office.”

The Mergui Archipelago possesses 800 islands spanning a total area of 10,000 square miles in the South of Myanmar.

As released by the Government in 2013, the tourism plan listed the archipelago as the prior area. If the plan comes off, it is sure to attract numerous holiday – goers and ecotourists.

However, the infrastructure which consists of electricity and water on the archipelago is in really poor condition. It would require a decade to develop the islands to the point which they can compete with those resorts in Thailand.

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Laos and Myanmar Friendship bridge

LUANG NAMTHA : As the Lao News Agency reported, the first Friendship Bridge between Laos and Myanmar connecting the North of Laos with Myanmar over the Mekong river has been opened Last Saturday.

The bridge which is funded through the investment by the two nation governments is 10.9 metres in width and 691.6 metres in length.

The USD 26 million bridge was under construction for 30 months and was finished 5 months earlier than planned.

The bridge has a sidewalk which is 1,2 meters wide. The bridge can also carry up to 75 tons and withstand an earthquake of magnitude 7. Ships of no more than 500 tons can easily cross underneath the bridge.

The governments of the two countries agreed on the construction of the bridge in March 2012 in a visit to Laos by the President of Myanmar – Mr. Thein Sein.

The bridge connects National Road No.17 in Laos with National Road No. 4 in Myanmar and is sure to boost the tourism and trade between the two nations.

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Brand new shopping mall in Mandalay

MANDALAY: A new option has been added to the list of shopping destinations for tourists visiting Mandalay. The brand new Mandalay Yatanar Mall will open on 1st April next year.

Burmese handicrafts, silk products and hand – made jewelry along with branded shopping items can be found at the Mandalay Yatanar Mall, The Global New Light of Myanmar media reported.

Mandalay Yatanar Mall is to be located on the second floor of Yadanabon Super Centre .There will be 389 shops selling silk, mosaic paintings, Myanmar handicrafts as well as gold and gemstones.

Banks and money changers are also included in the mall.

As forecasted by Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Mandalay will welcome up to 500,000 international visits this year.

464,577 foreign visitors have been attracted to the city in 2014, which shows an increase of 60,385 compared to the previous year. The majority of visitors are from japan, China and South Korea. AirAsia, THAI Smile, China Eastern Airlines, Myanmar Airways International, SilkAir, Bangkok Airways and Golden Myanmar are currently operating regional flights between Mandalay and Kunming (China), Bangkok, Gaya (India) and Singapore.

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Myanmar will host 8 million visitors by 2020

YANGON : Ministry of Hotels and Tourism of Myanmar says the country’s tourism master plan is now underway following the recommendations of the Asia Development Bank and the Norwegian government that funded and wrote the plan.

Quote tourism minister, Htay Aung work in Eleven Myanmar media as saying the master plan includes 38 projects, requiring an investment of USD 486.6 million and need to be accomplish by 2020.

According to the ministry director Hlaing Oo, the ministry has currently obtained USD215.6 million for 21 projects.

The tourist flow to Myanmar is capability to raise at a rate of 1.5 million visitors per year and is supposed to hit 8 million in 2020. According to the tourism master plan, the turnover from international visitors should reach USD10 billion in 2020.

The service industries of Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Kyaikhteeyoe, Inle, and Ngapali will be improved over the next five years.

The infrastructure in Ngwesaung and Chaungtha beaches will also be developed, and routes connecting Putao, Naga Land, Myeik Archipelago,Natmauk Mountain and Loikaw will be upgraded to improve transport flow.

The country projects 5 million tourists, from 3 million in 2014 in this year up.

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Renovation of the Mandalay palace

Myanmar’s Ministry of Culture has invited tenders to undertake a major renovation of Mya Nan San Kyaw Palace in Mandalay.

Eleven Myanmar media informed that this is the second tender for the renovation of the palace. In 2013, the first tender was operated, nevertheless it had finalised.

In Nay Pyi Taw, The Ministry of Culture handed over the palace to the Mandalay Regional Government Committee in July 2013.

The palace was then handed over last December to the culture ministry because the ministry had financial resources to carry out restoration. Nyo Myint Tun- Mandalay’s Archaeological Research and National Museum Department assistant director said the Ministry of Culture has now opened a tender for the renovation of the Mya Nan San Kyaw golden palace.

“We are going to carry out restoration on the palace and the main buildings. In the past, we carried out only minor maintenance.” the Golden Palace, or Mya Nan San Kyaw Palace, was built between 1857 and 1859. It also served as the royal residence of King Mindon and King Thibaw who are the last two kings of Burma. British forces entered the palace and captured the royal family and razed the city to the ground, it ceased to be a royal residence and seat of government in 1885..

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Myanmar shifts conference venue

SINGAPORE, on 27 March 2015:Hospitality and Tourism Conference in Myanmar has moved venue from Yangon to the capital Nay Pyi Taw. The Sphere Conferences, organisers said they were complying with a request to host the event in Nay Pyi Taw from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

Dates have been delayed to 8 to 10 June.

The new venue is Kempinski Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw.

The organisers’ update stated that the change was “in line with the ministry’s vision to promote Nay Pyi Taw as a new destination for international audience.”

In company with the event local hoteliers will hold their annual meeting and more invites have been sent out to more ministerial level attendees to the conference to extend the scope and size of the event.

Two convention centres in Nay Pyi Taw are plans to build an exhibition centre. In 2014, a new airport branch was opened that is a showcase for the country’s emerging aviation industry in terms of facilities. However, it is under used with just two international airlines serving the airport in addition to domestic services.

The government have pressing hoteliers to give more incentives to airlines to fly to the capital and make it attractive financially to host conferences.

The ASEAN Tourism Forum, the last major conference was hosted in the capital in last January.

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MNA ready for first Boeing

YANGON,on 27 March 2015: National Airlines of Myanmar will take delivery of its first leased Boeing in June to expand its network. Myanmar's Global News Light reported the airline will take delivery of four Boeing 737-800 MAXs and six Boeing 737-800 NGs from GECAS Company. In June and the second in October, the first plane will be delivered, the announcement in the official government media said. Within five years, the entire order will be completed as is subject to review.

The airline has nine aircraft in its fleet mainly small aircraft serving domestic routes.

In December last year, MNA a government entity became a corporation in a bid to upgrade services and its IT capabilities.

The 67-year-old airline is established in 1948 as Union of Burma Airways (UBA) after it's the national flag carrier of Myanmar. Then, it was renamed as Myanma Airways in 1989.

Based in Yangon, in Myanmar the airline flies to 26 destinations, but makes most of its revenue from royalties it earned from allowing other airlines to operate routes in the country.

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