Nay Pyi Taw, 10 March 

Deputy Minister U Tin Lat from Hotels and Tourism ministry arrived at National Kandawgyi Garden in the town of Pyin Oo Lwin in Mandalay region yesterday morning, where he inspected the area’s potential for developing tourism industry. 

Deputy Minister urged officials from National kandawgyi Garden to introduce travel programs that draw more attention of travellers such as trekking, track cycling and eco-tourism travel programs such as butterfly-observing, orchid-observing and bird-watching programs, saying that the ministry will offer necessary assistance. 

Then, the deputy minister held a meeting with town elders at their office.  At the meeting, he said that the ministry formerly focused on granting licenses. But it adopted the Myanmar Tourism Law in 2018 and decentralized its operations, forming region and state tourism committees to grant licenses. The ministry will continue adopting tourism policies and providing services, he continued.

He stressed the need to form Destination Management Organizations (DMO) or district level tourism development committee so that regional tourism development committee can implement tourism development programs effectively and systematically.   

He also said that local people play a key role in setting up such organizations because they know more about their town than others. Beside maintaining the existing destinations, it is needed to explore new destinations, he said.

In the evening, the deputy minister went to No-1 Basic Education High School (Pyinoolwin) and met with the headmistress of the school and old students. He said that Maymyo Heritage Trust is trying to get the high school recognized as a National Heritage. It has been over 100 years since No-1 Basic Education High School (Pyinoolwin) was built as a government high school in 1901.—MoHT

Translated by Aung Zaw Lin