Ha Long City – The ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019, with the motto “ASEAN: THE POWER OF ONE” as main theme, will took place from January 14th to 18th in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. The annual ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) provided an excellent platform for Myanmar among international delegates and media to showcase its diverse range of new and exciting tourism products, services and events of the country.
ASEAN is a region full of diversity – languages, cultures, traditions, and people – but also with many things in common, such as the desire to grow in the tourism sector. ATF at its core recognises that ASEAN is stronger and more compelling as one collective destination. The region offers countless exciting experiences in a seamless journey of different identities, an important proposition that has kept ASEAN’s appeal strong throughout the world.
Last year the Myanmar government introduced new regulations to facilitate easier access for tourists to visit the country as a next step to open up to the world. Japanese, South Korean, Hong Kong and Macau tourists were granted visa-free entry and Chinese and Indian nationals were also granted visas-on-arrival (VOA) into Myanmar in a move to attract more Asian tourism into the country.
The government also allowed all nationalities to enter Myanmar through the two overland borders: Tamu and Rih Khaw Dar and continue to travel overland to Thailand and use any of the four Thailand borders to exit Myanmar. These two border posts offer easy access for entering the country.
Although 2018 has been a challenging year for Myanmar Tourism, high hopes and strong belief remain across the country that tourism will bring positive change to this culturally diverse nation.
On 18th January, the Myanmar Tourism Ministry presented an update on developments in the tourism sector. In this context the Myanmar Tourism Marketing announced to invite travel journalists and to organize media trips for publications that are interested to show and share their experiences in Myanmar.
“We do hope that all these new regulations to ease access to Myanmar, will lead to more travelers from around the world to discover the unique Myanmar culture, nature and most of all the diversity and hospitality of the people.” said Ms. May Myat Mon Win, Myanmar Tourism Marketing Chairperson.