Tourism industry ‘deserves a break,’ say travel writers

Media trips showcasing Myanmar’s key tourist destinations appear to be winning over foreign press, with the industry newspaper Travel Trade Gazette on September 26 giving the country the tick of app

eTN Inbox: The Struggle to engage Myanmar

Predictably, the stance taken by Danish Development Minister Ulla Tørnæs put the cat among the pigeons in Denmark recently when she dared to suggest that perhaps sanctions weren’t working, and tha

PATA launches rebuilding fund for Myanmar and China

Saddened by the tragedy unfolding in Myanmar due to Cyclone Nargis and the Earthquake in Sichuan, China, PATA Foundation launched the PATA Foundation Rebuilding Fund on May 15.

eTN Inbox: Letter from Yangon

Following our first update on the 15th May on the Balloons over Bagan / Malikha Lodge cyclone relief fund, I would like to take this opportunity to update you.

Tourists to Myanmar doing more good than bad, Lonely Planet founder says

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (eTN) - Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler has defended his book's influence in the travel industry by claiming tourists going to Myanmar (formerly Burma) is "doing more good than bad."

eTN Inbox: Myanmar finally speaks

Some regions of Myanmar were struck by the severe Cyclone Nargis, which originated in the Bay of Bengal as a low pressure area.

UN foresees ‘second catastrophe’ for Myanmar

Unless more access to the country is granted to allow aid more quickly, a second catastrophe could result, Elizabeth Byrs of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in Geneva yesterday.

UN discusses democracy and reconciliation with Myanmar officials

(eTN) Continuing his latest mission to promote democratization and national reconciliation in Myanmar, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser last week met with senior government ministers in Yangon.

Myanmar tourism down almost half after protests

YANGON - Tourist arrivals in Myanmar almost halved in the last three months of 2007 after the military junta crushed popular monk-led protests, killing at least 31 people, a weekly journal reported on Monday.

Burma lures tourists with reopening of ancient palace

In an attempt to entice tourists to the military-ruled country, Burma's Ministry of Culture has reopened the Thiri Zeya Bumi Bagan Golden Palace. The palace—whose reconstruction began several years ago—is one of the most impressive remnants of the ancient city of Bagan, which flourished as a Buddhist center from the 11th to the 13th ... read more

Vietnam remains tough on visas

(eTN) – Despite, or because of, its tourism success, Vietnam authorities still keep on with fairly strict visa procedures. And no change is around the corner even if Vietnam National Administration of Tourism indicates that the government is looking to open a more flexible visa policy.

Malaysia pushes for single ASEAN visa

(eTN) – Despite hindrances, Malaysia is pushing leaders from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) delegation at the ongoing fifth ASEAN Tourism Conference (ATC) to adopt a single visa policy within the 10-nations bloc.

Myanmar reopens ancient palace to attract tourists

YANGON (TVLW) - Myanmar has reopened an ancient palace in Bagan, northern part of the country, to attract more tourists in a bid to promote the development of tourism, the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar reported Thursday.

Myanmar private airline to stretch wing to South Korea

YANGON (TVLW) - A Myanmar private airline, the Air Bagan, will stretch wing to South Korea's Incheon starting Thursday as its third foreign air route service, according to a report of Wednesday's local Yangon Times.

Air Bagan's introduction of the Incheon flight came more than three months after the inauguration of its second ... read more

More bird flu deaths, UN report claims

An Indonesian man has reportedly succumbed to bird flu infection, marking the third time this week that a bird flu-related death has been reported. The 47-year-old man from Indonesia’s Banten province on the western tip of the island of Java has become the latest human fatality from avian influenza, the United Nations World Health ... read more

Is Myanmar lying about crackdown death toll?

A United Nations expert has spoken out on the discrepancy between the actual death toll figure and the government figures on the recent government crackdown on protestors.