STRONGER coordination between stakeholders and increased local participation in tourism-related decisions are key focus points if Myanmar’s tourism industry is to grow sustainably.

This is according to a multi-stakeholder workshop on responsible tourism and human rights – attended by over 100 participants from the government, tourism businesses, associations, civil society groups, international NGOs and travel specialists – organised by the Myanmar Center for Responsible Business (MCRB) and Hanns Seidel Foundation last week in Nay Pyi Taw.

The issue at the top of the list for over 20 per cent of participants is the lack of local participation. Next five highest ranking concerns are waste and water management, safety, access to land, relocation of communities and tourism’s impact on children.

Many participants noted that while current policies set strong frameworks for local involvement, things are not actually taking place on the ground, mainly due to a lack of capacity, money and time needed.

“This meeting highlighted how transparency, constant communication and the sharing of lessons learned and different perspectives facilitates better decisions on how to develop tourism sustainably,” said Vicky Bowman, director of MCRB.

“The recent history of hotel zones in Myanmar shows how quick decisions taken without a full understanding of the potential social, environmental and cultural impacts, as well as the needs of the market, and local concerns, can lead to bad outcomes for communities, economic losses for business, environmental degradation and unhappy tourists,” he added.

THE social visit pass, extended to Chinese tourists to Malaysia, has hit a bump in implementation since its October 1 launch date, with travel consultants saying the application process has not been revealed by the Malaysian government.

Mint Leong, managing director of Sunflower Holidays in Kuala Lumpur, said her incentive group of 50 arriving from Shanghai today is being given special assistance on last-minute visa processing by the Malaysian Consul-General office in Shanghai.

Leong, who is also secretary-general at the Malaysian Inbound Tourism Association (MITA), said Chinese tourists intending to visit Malaysia must continue to apply for a visa until further notice. MITA had also written to Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs to come up with procedure details by October 10, she added.

MITA estimates a loss of 8,000 arrivals from China during the Chinese Golden Week period (from October 1 to 7) resulting in a loss of RM25 million (US$5.7 million) on tourism revenue.

Albert Tan, president of the Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association, said: “Operators in China are unhappy because there is no clear direction. Our concern is also whether the entry points in Malaysia have clear directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs as we don’t want tourists to be turned away.”

Tan, who is also managing director at Tong Yan Tavel & Tours in Penang, is expecting to lose 40 per cent of targeted arrivals during the Golden Week period. “Without clear direction, we cannot promote Malaysia at this point of time,” he said.

WITH the next headline-grabbing disaster just around the corner, can you handle the media and the buyers?

As the industry gets hit by one crisis after another, TTG Asia Media’s workshop at ITB Asia in Singapore on October 21 will field top journalists and media practitioners giving their views on how to engage the media constructively and creatively, and how crisis management must progress beyond the SOP like media fam trips and using social media.

CEOs from recent disaster-hit destinations will also give a reliable account of recovery progress to-date and share their thoughts on the media/buyers’ role in rebuilding.

Data-crunchers will pinpoint the common patterns or trends that stand out again and again when a crisis hits – how traffic redirects itself, the role data and intelligence play in crisis management and how affected destinations can adjust their sales and marketing efforts.

The two-hour not-for-profit workshop will be held on October 21, 11.00-13.00 at Marina Bay Sands, Sands Convention Centre, Basement 2 Hall D-F. This is within ITB Asia travel mart. It is free for all ITB Asia delegates while arrangements have also been made for a visitor pass at discounted rates.

Seats are on a first-come-first-served basis as the room could accommodate only 150 pax. To-date, more than half of the seats have been taken up.

Journalists and media practitioners who will speak at the workshop include Kannan Chandran, founder and publisher, E-Quill News Media and Six-Six News; Imtiaz Muqbil, executive editor of Travel Impact Newswire; and Ken Scott, former journalist and now PR practitioner of Scott Asia Communications.

Listen also to the real experiences and recovery updates from direct sources including Marcus Cotton, managing director of Tiger Mountain Nepal, and Jamili Nais, director, Sabah Parks, who was personally involved in the search, rescue and now rebuilding of Kota Kinabalu mountain trails.

Data-driven analysts include Stewart Hunter, director Asia-Pacific of Sojern, and Todd Arthur, managing director Asia-Pacific of HRS.

The workshop will benefit the media, PR practitioner, seller, buyer, NTO marketer – practically anyone who wishes to learn how to engage the media better. Register now at the following website or contact Stephanie Toh at (65) 6395 7531 or stephanie.toh@ttgasia.com.

A NEW marketing strategy has been introduced by the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) – which includes Cambodia, Laos, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam – at the 20th GMS Ministerial Conference held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.

Named Experience Mekong Tourism Marketing Strategy and Action Plan 2015-2020, the initiative focuses on joint tourism marketing by GMS countries and aims to bolster cooperation through the development of thematic multi-cultural tour programmes and the promotion of multi-country itineraries.

The objectives of the new strategy include an emphasis on secondary destinations and multi-country itineraries, especially community and river-based tourism, as well as local cuisine and cultural appreciation.

“We encourage tourists to spread their spending beyond established locations such as Angkor Wat, the Grand Palace in Bangkok and Yangon in Myanmar,” said Jens Thraenhart, executive director of the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.

Thraenhart is optimistic that the marketing plans will further raise the profile of the GMS as a world-class destination with quality tourism services and convenient visa policies.

A freely accessible GMS tourism e-library will also be made available on the MekongTourism.org digital platform.

Preparation of the plan was led by the GMS Tourism Working Group, with support from the Asian Development Bank and the MTCO.