Myanmar benefits from backpackers

YANGON  More backpackers are now visiting Myanmar than ever, a development that spreads tourism earnings to communities rather than big hotel companies.
The Irrawaddy news channel reported that the Union of Myanmar Travel Association remains convinced independent travellers (FIT) and backpackers are better options than expensive scheduled group tours, that were the few options for visitors during the last two decades.
In the past, tourism suffered from a boycott, a shortage of investment and inadequate infrastructure. UMTA said that the number of visitors has steadily risen, and young, independent travellers are a dominant segment.
If Myanmar’s tourism association does want to pursue FITs as a primary target, accommodation and safety will be the most urgent concerns, according to Tin Tun Aung of the UMTA, who points out that independent travellers “can only rely on hotlines and tourist police for assistance.”
BNBYBKMinistry of Hotels and Tourism’s Department of Tourism, Aung Zaw Win, said: “Backpackers now account for more than half of Myanmar’s tourists.”
However, statistics indicate FITs account for about 38% of visitors in 2013 (2.04 million visits).
The Yangon-based NGO Tourism Transparency’s founder and director, Andrea Valentin, said catering to low-budget independent travellers could create a more healthy mix by balancing the ministry’s “misplaced” focus on high-end tourism.
“Many package tourists know a lot about the country they’re visiting, they’re usually older, too, and they spend a lot, but the money usually stays in big hotels. We need a good mix of tourists in Myanmar, and I hope both backpackers and package tourists will be more aware of the places they visit. It’s the only way for responsible tourism to happen here.”
Though the number of such travellers is rising quickly, the director said: “Independent tourism is still not so easy in Myanmar, as there are few guesthouses and small-scale accommodation providers.”

sourced:ttrweekly.cm