Vietnam, Myanmar promote tourism cooperation

Myanmar is willing to co-operate with Vietnam to remove barriers for mutual benefit and support tourism enterprises.

The Minister of Hotels and Tourism Soe Naing emphasised this at a recent tourism promotion seminar held in the former Myanmar capital of Yangon.

Myanmar and Vietnamese participants introduced each country’s strengths in tourism, including eco-tourism and religious tourism in Myanmar, and beach resorts in Vietnam, and discussed measures to diversify tours, lower prices, increase service quality and attract more visitors.

They also looked at ways of overcoming difficulties relating to visas, language, electronic payments and credit cards, and the establishment of tourism entities in Myanmar.

U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, vice chairman of the Myanmar Marketing Committee, predicted the new routes would boost Myanmar’s tourist arrivals.

“It will also increase connectivity with the member states of ASEAN and potentially boost arrivals from third countries,” he said.

Tony Pham Ha, the chief executive of Hanoi-based Luxury Travel, said his company has already received a number of bookings for package tours to Myanmar.

Luxury Travel is working with tour operators and travel agents from Myanmar to promote Vietnam’s image, Ha said, adding that they would like them to do a familiarisation trip explore Vietnam’s cities, beaches and world heritage sites.

Myanmar attracted nearly 1,900 Vietnamese travellers in 2009, up from more than 1,000 in 2008, said Myanmar tourism authority. – VOV

Tags: Vietnam Myanmar tourism cooperation, Vietnam Tourism