The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism will set up committees to promote tourism in Chin and Rakhine States in a bid to lure the increasing number of visitors to Myanmar away from the more well-trodden tourist hotspots

The Ministry of Ho­tels and Tourism will set up com­mittees to promote tour­ism in Chin and Rakhine states in a bid to lure the increasing number of visitors to Myanmar away from the more well-trod­den tourist hotspots.

While Mandalay Re­gion’s Bagan and Shan State’s Inle Lake are on the itinerary of most foreign visitors to the country, lesser known Tanintharyi, Chin and Rakhine boast archipelagos, ancient cul­tural sites and untouched natural beauty.

“We have already formed a tourism com­mittee for Tanintharyi Region but Rakhine and Chin States are planning to organize these commit­tees so we can promote tourism in these emerging destinations,” said Daw Khin Than Win, Deputy Director General of Min­istry of Hotels and Tour­ism.

Each committee will take responsibility for the promotion of their desti­nation and attracting lo­cal and foreign travelers, she said.

The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said it also has plans to open a univer­sity of tourism with help from the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Indus­try while the Japan In­ternational Cooperation Agency is assisting in the promotion of Myanmar as an up-and-coming tourist destination.

In the past, the govern­ment has tried to lure foreign and local visitors to lesser known areas such as Indawgyi Lake in Kachin State, Loikaw in Kayah State and Thand­aunggyi in Karen State through community-based tourism projects.

Myanmar received 1.2 million visitors in 2016 during the four month long tourism season, which runs from Septem­ber through December, up 120,000 compared to the same period the pre­vious year.

(Myanmar Business Today: http://www.mmbiztoday.com/articles/tourism-committees-seek-promote-chin-rakhine-states-roads-less-travelled)

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