TRAVELLERS and trade players are on a heightened state of alert in Myanmar in the wake of multiple bomb blasts throughout the country in the past two weeks, with DMCs reporting postponed bookings as a result.
Three bombs detonated overnight between Wednesday and Thursday this week in the north-eastern Shan state near the Chinese border, according to AFP, killing a municipal worker. This forms the latest incident in a string of blasts that saw an explosion at a guesthouse in Taunggu, 65km from Naypyidaw that killed two, and Traders Hotel, Yangon on Monday, which injured an American woman.
Two more devices were found at restaurants in Yangon and Mandalay on Monday but did not detonate.
“As the news spread of the bomb blast in a guestroom at Traders Hotel, many of our clients contacted us for more detailed information and reassurance,” said Pierre Leduc, key account manager at Diethelm Travel Myanmar.
While Diethelm has not received any cancellations, a few travel agencies have requested alternative accommodation, he added.
Stephen McEvoy, managing director of Asia World Enterprise, said a couple of bookings have been postponed following the incidents. “We had an incentive group travelling to Myanmar from Singapore that requested to delay its December (departure) until next year. Also, a European travel consultant from Scandinavia has postponed its group series from January.”
“Overall the mood is very much wait and see, so if the situation calms down tourists will still travel,” he remarked.
The US has condemned the latest bombings as “acts of terror”, while Western governments have warned travellers to exercise caution in Myanmar, said AFP.
Anne Cruickshanks, Myanmar country manager at Grasshopper Adventures, said: “These incidents are often aimed at causing a fuss more than actual carnage. Generally, following such incidents, there is an overall tightening of security. We would expect that this will be the case in the coming months and would not expect this to be a recurrent issue in the near term.”
In response to security concerns, Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels & Tourism has issued a directive to reinforce security at all hotels.
Traders Hotel, Yangon now has a team of three security guards scanning guests and bags at the entrance, and requests all guests to double check their rooms upon check-in and be alert for any unattended luggage.
The incidents come at a crucial time for the South-east Asian country, which will host the SEA Games in December (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 8, 2012) and assume chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014.
