Moves to gain heritage recognition

RAKHINE STATE, 22 June 2017: Myanmar’s Mrauk U’s Department of Archaeology and the National Museum says surveys are being carried out to start the process that could ultimately lead to a UNESCO World Heritage site listing in 2019.

Global New Light of Myanmar reported teams are producing a map that will identify cultural heritage and are installing signs indicating heritage locations and drawing up a long-term management plan that could ultimately lead to filing an application with UNESCO.

The department director, U Nyein Lwin, was quoted saying work has started, but much needed to be done. A team of international experts are helping to survey the site and prepare a bid. Read more

Bagan redraws heritage zones

BAGAN, 20 June 2017: Bagan’s  World Heritage zone will skirt existing buildings and in some areas be extended to ensure communities do not lose residences or buildings.

The city is preparing its presentation, which will be the framework for a comprehensive request for UNESCO World Heritage recognition, but considerable pressure from residents who stood to lose property has now prompted revisions of the strict zoning that was earlier proposed.

Myanmar Times Bagan’s Department of Archaeology and National Museum director, U Aung Aung Kyaw, said the new zoning project will be completed by the end of this month. Read more

UNESCO team checks Battambang

BATTAMBANG, 15 June 2017: A UNESCO delegation conducted study of Battambang, Monday, after the government flagged its intention to apply for World Heritage status for the provincial town.

Cambodia has indicated it will file documents to support the listing of three destinations in the country; Battambang, Kratie, and Kampot.

Khmer Times quoted Tourism Minister, Thong Khon, saying Battambang was the first of the three towns to be visited by UNESCO officials. Read more

Luang Prabang bucks travel trend

LUANG PRABANG, 14 June 2017: Lao PDR’s World Heritage town Luang Prabang bucked the country’s negative trend in tourist arrivals in 2016 delivering a 5.88% increase, the town’s tourism department reported on the sidelines of the Mekong Tourism Forum last week.

Addressing a press conference, Luang Prabang deputy director Department of Information, Culture and Tourism, Soudaphone Khomthavong, said the destination continues to see positive results during the first quarter of this year, the only province to do so.

Overall, Laos closed 2016 with 4.68 million tourist arrivals, down 12.66% from 4.23 million in 2015. The last time the country saw its tourist arrivals dip was in 2001 and again in 2003. The drop in 2001 was blamed on the terror attack in the US and in 2003 on the SARS epidemic in Asia. Read more

MTF: Meet the destination

LUANG PRABANG, 7 June 2017: The Mekong Tourism Forum 2017, kicked off this morning at the Central Bank building, Luang Prabang.

Hosted by the Provincial Government of Luang Prabang, a famed UNESCO World Heritage town, the MTF attracted over 200 travel executives and leaders from the Mekong Region.

The event is an annual gathering of leaders from the six country grouping that represents tourism in Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Guang Xi provinces) Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Read more

China-Lao rail gathers steam

LUANG PRABANG, 7 June 2017: A fast rail line from China to Laos will run straight through Luang Prabang, Lao PDR’s famed World Heritage town, when it opens December 2021.

Officials confirmed late last month that the construction of the Laos-China railway is gathering steam as teams bore and drill foundations at 75 tunnel and 167 bridge locations on a route that will stretch 414 km from end-to-end.

The line crosses the China-Lao border with major rail stations planned for Luang Namtha, 360 km northeast of Lao capital, Luang Prabang and Vientiane where it will eventually merge with a line crossing into Thailand at Nong Khai. Read more

Road to Mandalay leads to Bagan

BANGKOK, 6 June 2017: Myanmar’s Bagan with its ancient temples and pagodas is benefiting  from improved airline access from Mandalay, the nearest international gateway.

A new report by C9 Hotelworks ‘Bagan Myanmar Tourism Market Review’ highlights the fact that better road and air access from Mandalay the nearest city with an international airport is driving tourism growth.

This has encourage more travellers from the top five markets, US, UK, Germany, France and Japan. Read more

Lifetime vocation attending travel shows

BANGKOK, 5 June 2017: June is a reminder that Asia’s travel trade scene is packed with events that will change how you do business, talk fests that entertain and a smattering of the old fashioned travel shows that motor on despite disruptive technology.

This week, the Mekong Tourism Forum convenes in Luang Prabang, a World Heritage town and a premier destination driving tourism to Laos. It is six years since the forum was last held in Laos when it convened in Pakse.

Many of the faces have changed, but most of the core issues have not.  At the MTF 2011 in Pakse organisers rolled out the theme, “Destination Mekong: The Making of a Star,” while this year the focus is on “Prosper with Purpose”. Following each event the theme is deposited in a box appropriately named “been there done that”. Read more

Myanmar to beef up heritage law

BAGAN, 19 May 2017: Myanmar’s government will amend the 1998 Protection and Preservation of Cultural Heritage Regions Law to empower authorities and keep up with the current tourism situation.

Global New Light of Myanmar reported the 1998 cultural heritage law would be amended before Bagan files for World Heritage list status.

Religious Affairs and Culture Minister, Thura U Aung Ko, was quoted saying the government will amend the law as it out of date considering the present tourism situation. Read more

Laos identifies attractions

VIENTIANE, 8 May 2017: Lao PDR’s Ministry of Planning and Investment in its latest report states there are 2,100 tourist sites in Laos that are either attracting tourists, or have the potential to do so.

Lao News Agency reported there are almost 1,200 ecotourism sites, 600 cultural sites and almost 300 historical sites including two World Heritage sites, but most of them lack basic infrastructure such as roads and many of the ecotourism sites are only of value for local tourists.

The figures are based on a survey conducted during 2015 to 2016. Read more

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