25 Jan
With vaccination against the coronavirus, the world is preparing to revive the travel, tourism and hospitality industry which has been decimated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recovery process for the travel industry will be complicated and lengthy.
As we look to recover from this profound crisis, the safe restart of tourism is essential.
In the post COVID-19 period, every country would try to attract visitors because international travel is a lucrative business that earns huge amounts of money for a country.
With the arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from India recently, our people, like other people in the world, are in a wait-and-watch mode to start travel and to resume their business.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism held a meeting with stake holders in the travel and hospitality industry recently in preparation for revitalizing our tourism industry with safe and responsible COVID-19 services.
Safety is at the top of the mind for travellers and services when travel services resume and travel destinations are reopened with the Enchanting Myanmar Health and Safety Protocol (HSP).
To revitalize our tourism industry which has been devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Myanmar Tourism Strategic Recovery Roadmap (2021-2025) also focus on development community-based tourism with new destinations.
The media reports on uninhabited places in regions and states following the Hotel and Tourism Ministry’s alert for community-based tourism have reflected that the ministry also focus on tourism’s importance for rural communities.
While providing opportunities for people, we must ensure that tourism play an important role in preserving our unique and cultures, protecting the biodiversity and the ecosystems that sustain us.
When it comes to revitalizing our tourism industry with new destinations, we have an unprecedented opportunity to transform the relationship of the tourism sector with people, nature, the climate and the economy.
Besides, the Myanmar Tourism Strategic Recovery Roadmap are also designed to revitalize the hospitality sector on which our people in rural and urban areas are relying for income, especially women and young people.
As societies and industries are now also looking to rebuild and reemerge from the crisis, we must ensure that our region-wise master plans safe and responsible, and it must be a shared responsibility between visitors, local communities, business owners, employees and local governments.
