State Administration Council Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win addresses meeting (1/2022) of National Tourism Development Central Committee
NAY PYI TAW May 26
The National Tourism Development Central Committee held its meeting (1/2022) at the Jade Hall of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism in Nay Pyi Taw at 2 pm today, with an address by Central Committee Chairman State Administration Council Vice Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
It was attended by Union ministers, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, deputy ministers and officials while region and state chief ministers, tourism experts, related associations and officials attended it via video link.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Senior General Soe Win said the meeting was held with the aim of resume tourism activities of Myanmar with momentum, facilitating socio-economic development of the people and bracing for emerging challenges through cooperation of central committee members.
This is the first meeting for this year. On 8 January 2021, the first meeting (1/2021) was held.
According to the surveys from WTTC, tourism constituted 10.4 percent of global GDP in 2019.
With travel restrictions and halted tourism, over 62 million jobs were lost across the globe.
According to the UNWTO data, international tourist arrivals increased by 4 percent in 2021 when compared to 2020. But they decreased by 72 percent when compared to 2019. Before the global pandemic in 2019, there were 1.5 billion international tourists and the number was just about 415 million in 2021.
In 2019 Myanmar earned US$-2,818.75 million from 4.36 million tourist arrivals. Since all tourism activities were halted after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, Myanmar saw only 0.90 million foreign tourists in 2020 declining by 79 percent compared to 2019. There were 0.13 million in 2021.
The World Tourism Organization Secretary-General said at the 10th meeting of the International Health Emergency Response Policy Committee of the World Health Organization in January 2022 that global countries’ travel restrictions meant cutting off the lifeblood of global tourism. Rather than advantages, it produced disadvantages for tourism-related employment as well as its sustainability.
As the global countries are able to control the pandemic, tourism activities have resumed.
For the convenience of international tourists arriving in Myanmar, health restrictions have been eased gradually, and regular international flights were allowed as of 17 April. Till 25 May, there were 20,657 local travellers and 5,561 foreign travellers who used regular international flights. Every day, nine airlines conduct 282 flights.
And this is great potential for tourism. Myanmar has a lot of rich resources to attract international tourists. They are climate conditions, coasts, coral reefs, acquit animals, natural gardens like Lanpi Island, the UNESCO-recognized ancient Bagan cultural region, arid regions, glaciers in PutaO in Kachin State, the Death Railway in Thanphyuzayat in Mon State and so on. Likewise, there are other interesting things such as ethnic cultures and customs and their traditional food. It is necessary for tourists to grab them in various regions of the country.
Vaccination campaigns are being accelerated in the country to be able to control and prevent the COVID-19 transmission. As of May 25, more than 33.3 million people have been given at least one dose of vaccine, and of them, more than 26 million people have been fully vaccinated and more than 1.9 million given booster shots. And, over 280,000 people working in the tourism industry have been fully vaccinated. With the improvement of full vaccination status, the rate of confirmed cases with COVID-19 has been lower, which will be helpful to easing travel restrictions and reopening tourismrelated businesses as soon as possible. It is necessary to operate tourism businesses in compliance with the rules and regulations on COVID-19 prevention.
Moreover, as international travellers visit the country through borders, it is to review if the borders are reopened.
Myanmar is working together with international and regional organizations to be able to reopen tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 period by taking part in the measures of implementing ASEAN Tourism Recovery Plan such as the sectors of laying down ASEANlevel policies to take remedial measures for regional effects of the pandemic and recovery, developing common health guidelines and ASEAN travel corridors, and drawing and setting travel pass and safety protocol for reciprocal deals in recognizing them.
Although international travellers had many choices in the populous cities to visit and go shopping, according to the surveys on the outlook of postpandemic tourism industry, it is learnt that they prefer to visit places with less population in the regions close to natural sites and country sites having fresh air and pleasant scenery. They have become considered to give priority to health and security and prefer to choose more ways of having least direct contact in person in making payments and receiving services. It is necessary to win the confidence of travellers who will visit our region. Facts such as Being a COVID safe destination, having health and safety protocols are the most effective tools for marketing and promoting our region’s destinations.
During the pandemic period, online and digital platforms were used more widely than ever.
As jobs can be done in a short time, it is time for those who deal with tourism businesses to apply the technology best.
Besides, to be able to build confidence of international travellers and give guarantee on health and security, it is necessary to get involved in the measures on Enchanting Myanmar Health and Safety Protocol (HSP) jointly carried out by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, the Ministry of Health and tourism-related organizations. All members of local tourism committees in regions and states are to supervise necessary measures in order that hotels, especially the ones that will receive tourists, will have internationally authorized HSP certificates and follow the guest list management system (GLMS) to reduce the number of unnecessary papers and know the list of guests timely. The relevant ministries are to cooperate to enable hotels to apply the GLMS. Measures are being taken with momentum to issue national scrutiny cards, which will be much helpful to domestic travellers and domestic tourism.
Myanmar’s variety of traditional culture and tradition, religion and belief, religious festivals and events and natural scenery are invaluable resources to develop a variety of tourism businesses. It is to accelerate measures to explore and advertise unusual seasonal festivals, events, sports, traditional performance and natural beauty to have more visits of international and domestic travellers.
Regional tourism committees are to give supervisory tasks at different levels in order that the nation’s tourism industry will rebound from the situation battered by the COVID-19 and be harmonious with the new normal. Thanks to the benefits gained from the tourism industry, Regional tourism committees need to give priority to the tourism industry sector in implementing regional development tasks and fulfill the needs for infrastructure by giving priority for their regions’ tourism development. Besides, supervisory work is to be carried out by the committees to enable the businessmen in the tourism sector to pay tax to the State without fail.
It is seen that plans have been made for enabling disabled travellers to smoothly pay visits to the destinations around the world as old and disabled people are also among the travellers.
Myanmar needs to make preparations for enabling disabled travellers to come and visit the destinations across the country. It is to consider creating new job opportunities linked to the industry for people with disabilities as well. Doing so will be helpful to developing Myanmar as a nation having a capacity of not only receiving all travellers but also developing a responsible, sustainable tourism industry.
Tourism is one of the main economic sectors that contribute to the development of the region, preserve culture and natural resources and promote friendship and mutual understanding between international tourists and the people of Myanmar and Myanmar, like the rest of the world, must implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals). Therefore, all must work together to make Myanmar's tourism industry sustainable and inclusive.
Then, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee and Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism Dr Htay Aung, briefed on tourism matters.
Afterwards, the Joint Secretary of the Central Committee and Director-General of the Department of Hotels and Tourism explained the decisions of the first Central Committee meeting and the plan to implement a pilot project on unrestricted tourism for the disabled in the tourist destinations in Myanmar and the formation and replacement of Region and State Tourism Committees and submissions using the guest list management system are approved by the Chairman of the Tourism Committee.
The Central Committee members including Union Ministers Lt-Gen Soe Htut, Lt-Gen Yar Pyae, U Ko Ko Hlaing, U Maung Maung Ohn, U Khin Maung Yi and Dr Thet Khaing Win, Deputy Ministers Daw Than Than Lin, U Than Aung Kyaw, Dr Moe Zaw Tun, U Aung Kyaw Tun, U Htay Hlaing and U Nyunt Aung, Chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council Dr Maung Maung Naing, Chief Ministers of Region and State, tourism organizations and tourism experts give presentations on tourism development in relevant sectors.
After that, U Hlaing Oo, Director-General of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, explained about the right to form Myanmar Tourism Board.
Then, Chairman of the Central Committee for National Tourism Development Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win coordinated the discussions and closed the ceremony with concluding remarks.