by Reinhard Hohler, Chiang Mai
Some 300 delegates from 13 countries gathered at the Traders Hotel in downtown Yangon , when Myanmar’s first hospitality and tourism conference was successfully lunched. With tourism figures hitting just over a million in 2012, and numbers set to surge another 30% in 2013, there wasn’t a better time to hold the event that saw investors, developers and operators, as well as government officials and industry leaders, come together to explore and evaluate Myanmar’s potential as a travel destination of Southeast Asia’s last frontier.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Union Minister U Htay Aung, Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, singled out Myanmar as top destination in the world, which is wide open to the sea. With its recent changes in politics and economy, Myanmar has to build up its infrastructure to enter the discovering stage for long-term investment. But only in harmony with the policy of responsible tourism, the country is bound to become a better place to live.
Introducing the first draft of the upcoming “Tourism Master Plan” team leader Dr. Paul Rogers highlighted the following six strategic programs:
- Strengthen the institutional environment,
- Build human resource capacity and promote service quality,
- Strengthen safeguards and procedures for destination planning and management,
- Develop quality products and services,
- Improve connectivity and tourism-related infrastructure, and
- Build the image, position and brand of tourism in Myanmar.
On a short morning inspection tour, H.E. U Htay Aung visited the booths of some attending companies such as Air Kanbawza, Best Western International, CB Bank, Hotel Ace Chaung Tha Beach, MasterCard Worldwide, and Tourism Myanmar Co-op Ltd. amongst others. After that, Mr. Kyaw Htun, Joint Secretary General, Myanmar Tourism Federation, did a helpful showcase on the emerging hotel investment zones in Myanmar.
In the afternoon of Day 1, Daw Cho Cho Win, Deputy Director General of the Myanmar Investment Commission, explained the key regulations and laws governing hospitality and tourism investments, while Daw Kyi Kyi Aye, Senior Adviser, Myanmar Tourism Federation, moderated a panel discussion about an update on critical factors of building an investment friendly climate for tourism development in Myanmar. Last not least, Chairman Phyoe Wai Zar Zar, Myanmar Marketing Committee, introduced the most important tourist destinations in the country such as Yangon, Mandalay, Inlay Lake, Nay Pyi Taw, Bagan, and some beaches.
The highlight of Day 2 of the conference, when there was a split into a hospitality and tourism track, was the scholarly presentation from Prof. Dr. Frauke Kraas, Cologne University, Germany, who talked about “Urban planning for a growing city: How to develop Myanmar’s urban landscape for long term sustainability?”
Finally, CEO Paul Kerr, Small Luxury Hotels of the World, did a lively case study on “Finding Myanmar’s niche in the luxury travel segment.” The conference ended with a panel discussion about insights to managing international hotel brands in Yangon, where three prominent GMs spoke out, namely Ram Nurani, ParkRoyal Hotel, Bhongbhichai Bhitakburi, Chatrium Royal Lake Hotel, and Thomas Henseler, The Governor’s Residence.
It was up to German Thomas Henseler to hit the nerve of all the problems in Myanmar: “Be patient” with whatever you come across when in Myanmar.”
The next Myanmar Hospitality and Tourism Conference will be on February 20-22, 2014, to be yet another discussion of opportunities and challenges surrounding Myanmar’s tourism development. Some of the already registered attendees include companies such as Accor Asia Pacific, Centara International Management, Hilton Worldwide, Keppel Land, Max Myanmar Chain of Hotels, Meritus Hotels & Resorts, Orient Express, and Starwood Asia Pacific amongst others.
For further information, please go to: www.mhtc.sphereconferences.com
