Selling Travel September 19

44
how to sell
Myanmar
It’s gone from being a pariah state to one of Asia’s most desirable destinations.
Kathryn Liston explains how agents can sell Myanmar
Why sell it now
Exiled from the outside world for
many years, unspoilt by mass tourism
and untouched by commercialisation,
Myanmar provides a glimpse of Asia in
bygone days – but things are changing fast.
A more stable political climate since
elections in 2015 have brought investment
in tourism that has resulted in new luxury
hotels, excellent domestic transport
links, a simpler online visa service, and
more family-owned businesses, social
enterprises and community projects.
Myanmar is more affordable than it has
ever been – a five-star hotel costs half the
price it was five years ago, says InsideAsia
Tours' PR Manager James Mundy.
Prices on the ground are also extremely
low – Yangon taxis are £1; stir-fry, tea leaf
salad or mohinga noodles £3 – although
Western-style cafes, which are popping up
rapidly, will charge more.
The people are warm and welcoming
and there’s a plethora of amazing, and
relatively quiet, temples, monasteries and
cultural sites to explore. Bagan receives
300,000 visitors a year compared to
Angkor Wat’s three million.
Who to sell to
With such a treasure trove of highlights,
Myanmar caters for all markets. Culture
buffs will love the stunning temples and
colonial and World War Two history of
Mandalay and Yangon; cruisers can dip
COCKBURN ISLAND, ANDAMAN SEA
BAGAN HAS BEEN AWARDED UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE STATUS THIS YEAR
into village life along the Irrawaddy or
Chindwin rivers; sun worshippers will
adore the unspoilt beaches of Ngapali or
quieter Ngwe Saung; hikers can trek the
Kalaw and Shan hills; and soft adventure
seekers can take a sunrise balloon ride
over Bagan, boat trip around Inle Lake or
cycling tours of Yangon and Mandalay.
What to sell
The tourist trail of Yangon, Mandalay,
Bagan, Kalaw and Lake Inle visits the
main cultural sites and is a must for firsttime
visitors. The gleaming Shwedagon
Pagoda is Yangon’s jewel in the crown.
Mandalay’s U Bein teak bridge (built 1782);
Mahagandayon Monastery, home to 1,000
monks; and the gold-leaf covered Buddha
at Mahamuni Pagoda are stunning.
A balloon ride at sunrise over Bagan’s
3,500 ancient stupas and temples – and
a horse-and-cart ride around the dusty
plains – are enchanting, as is a boat tour of
Inle Lake, where fishermen row with one
leg, artisans weave silks from lotus leaves,
silversmiths create ornate jewellery and
floating gardens are filled with vegetables.
The hill station Kalaw offers great walking
and the Kalaw Green Valley elephant camp
employs sustainable practices, like making
paper from elephant poo.
Further afield, there’s the Golden Rock
pagoda and pilgrimage site at Kyaiktiyo,
Mawlamyine, where Rudyard Kipling and
George Orwell penned various works, and
the remote Mergui Archipelago, where
Regent Holidays offers an 18-day cruise.
How to sell it
Recommend a guided tour from Yangon
to Mandalay followed by a beach stay or a
cruise. Internal flights between the main
cities are frequent, so clients can arrive
BOOK IT WITH... PREMIER HOLIDAYS
Priced at £1999pp, the seven-night Highlights Of
Myanmar tour includes three days in Mandalay,
two days in Bagan to take in Mount Popa, a
private sunset cruise along the Irrawaddy and
two days at Inle Lake to visit the enchanting
floating gardens.
premierholidays.co.uk; 08444 937 520
sellingtravel.co.uk