Marcus Allender (Go-Myanmar.com): Myanmar is in the middle of a process of exciting and ongoing change

30 Jun 2015  2040 | World Travel News

TravelDailyNews: There is a lot of buzz about Myanmar which is considered the "hot potato" of the ASEAN region. Which are the reasons that drive this buzz?

Marcus Allender: Myanmar is a large country that is both rich in cultural heritage and natural beauty – it is home to a rich tapestry of ethnic groups and religions, and the scenery ranges from remote mountains in the north and west to hundreds of kilometres of untouched white sand beaches all along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman coastlines.

As the process of opening up to tourism and foreign investment has only begun relatively recently, we are also in the middle of a process of exciting, and ongoing, change; fascinating new destinations are becoming accessible to foreigners with every passing year.

TDN: Recently Thailand and Myanmar had a co-marketing initiative organizing a mega join fam trip in May. Do you believe that this is the way for Myanmar to position itself in the long haul markets, through similar activities with nearby countries?

M.A.: Integration of tourism activities and promotion, and increased cooperation with neighbouring countries, is certainly vital to the continued growth and appeal of Myanmar’s tourism industry; initiatives such as the Thai-Myanmar mega fam trip are key to that. Moreover, there is a lot of potential for itineraries that comprise over land travel from not only Thailand, but also India and China – routes that are currently hugely undeveloped.

However, we should be careful to differentiate these markets and also manage expectations; the Myanmar experience is very different to its neighbours, in good ways and not-so-good ways! The friendliness of Myanmar’s people and the sense of visiting somewhere exotic, exciting and untouched are great strengths, but the lack of development means creaking infrastructure and a relative shortage of high quality hotels and guides – although things are improving with time.

TDN: Last January in Nay Pi Taw was organized ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF). Most of the hosted buyers were disappointed about the destination and the local organizing (transfers, tours, flights, etc). Do you think that Myanmar is ready to receive international travellers? What needs to be improved both from the public and the private sector?

M.A.: Considering Myanmar’s massive potential as a tourism destination, the country is starting from an extremely low point in terms of development. The country was shut off from the rest of the world for decades and, subsequently to that, ostracised by much of the international community. So bringing service and infrastructure standards up to international standards will inevitably take time. The good news is that in general the Myanmar government is keen to take on board foreign expertise regarding tourism development – although one could argue that there are possibly too many voices in their ear.

There are a vast number of areas that need to be improved, and responsibility for many straddles the private and public sectors. But certainly infrastructure needs improving virtually everywhere in the country, which is primarily the responsibility of the government. Again, things are changing with time – a new domestic terminal is currently being built at Yangon airport, which should make the domestic air travel experience immeasurably more comfortable and straightforward.

Development that is already underway in the private sector needs to continue – for example, the building of quality hotels (both in the mid- and high-range) and the training of service staff. But these areas are not without their problems – projects have not always been undertaken with sensitivity to the surrounding environment, and the government has designated ‘hotel zones’ at many destinations, a concept that is not only highly unappealing to most foreign visitors, but also has led to developers riding roughshod through pristine landscapes at some locations.

Regarding Nay Pyi Taw itself and the experience of delegates at the ASEAN Tourism Forum, the fact is that the city was not built for tourism and trying to shoehorn that kind experience is going to be a massive challenge. Unlike much of the rest of the country, the infrastructure in Nay Pyi Taw is generally up to standard, with plenty of good hotels (albeit with undertrained staff), good internet, great conference facilities and an excellent airport. But Nay Pyi Taw is a massive place that offers few activities and no history – and is impossible to explore by foot. What appeal it has lies in its weirdness, and that is likely to continue for a while.

TDN: According to your experience which are the "must" for the travel agents who would like to include Myanmar in their travel packages?

M.A.: What excites us at Pegu Travels (which wholly owns Go-Myanmar.com), is the opportunity for adventure and exploring the unknown – taking people to the fascinating new places that are becoming accessible in Myanmar. Most travel packages take in Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake, which are wonderful places and are increasingly well set up for large numbers of tourists – but there is so much more the country has to offer.

The ancient city of Mrauk U in Rakhine State is for many the equal of the more celebrated Bagan, and certainly it has the virtue of feeling more untouched by development: the temples in Mrauk U remain principally places of worship for local villagers; none of them are locked; and you won’t get anyone selling you postcards. Another beautiful spot that is rich in culture is Nat Ma Taung National Park in Chin State. An 8-hour drive from Bagan, it is home to totally unspoilt mountain scenery and fascinating tribal cultures that fuse deep Christian faith with longer-held animist traditions. It is also home to the highest mountain in the region, Mount Victoria, which makes for a scenic – and straightforward – hike.

Hpa An, the capital of Karen State, is laid-back treasure. It is set amongst paddy fields and beautiful karst mountains (similar to those found in Halong Bay in Vietnam or Krabi in Thailand), many of which are filled with dramatic caves and centuries-old Buddhist shrines. It also acts as a gateway both to exploring the south of Myanmar and for over land travel from Thailand.

Indeed, another exciting development is over land travel to Myanmar. It remains challenging (some roads are bad and permits need to be obtained for China and India crossings), but it makes for a great adventure and all the routes into Myanmar take you through scenic hill and mountain terrain, as well as parts of the country that belong to the ethnic groups that contribute Myanmar’s huge cultural diversity.


*Marcus Allender is founder of Go-Myanmar.com and Business Development Director at Pegu Travels. A former marketing and PR professional who loves travelling and experiencing new cultures, Marcus has worked in the UK and across Europe in brand communications for The Economist magazine and as Marketing & PR Manager at an online language education start-up in London.

Marcus is well travelled in Southeast Asia; during 2009-10, he spent a year living in Kunming, China – it was during this time that he first travelled to Myanmar, and was captured by the beauty of the country, the richness of its culture and the friendliness of its people.

Marcus has lived in Yangon since September 2012, building an intimate knowledge of the Myanmar tourism industry and destinations, as well as extensive industry contacts.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia 

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