CNI News
3 Dec 2022
Stopping RDTs for COVID-19 on international tourists at airports may increase their arrivals in Myanmar, the Myanmar Tour Operators and Hoteliers Association told the CNI.
As conducting RTD tests on international tourists at the airport had been a hindrance for them, stopping the practice is beneficial to the tourism industry, Chairman U Naung Naung Han of the Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneurs Association told the CNI.
He told the CNI, most neighbouring ASEAN countries abandoned the practice of taking samples from tourists' noses. Some of them do not even require tourists to submit their vaccine certificates. COVID restrictions in our country seem to be tighter. There are some tourists who want to visit Myanmar urgently. The restrictions had been a hindrance for them. For example, they may visit Bangkok and when they arrive in Thailand, they may decide to visit Myanmar suddenly after learning that the country is beautiful. The practice of conducting RDTs made them hesitate and cancel the plan. So, abandoning the practice is of great benefit."
Tour operators had been demanding the government to end the practice for some time.
The Ministry of Health announced that it would stop conducting RDTs on foreign tourists who do not show symptoms like high body temperatures as of 1st December.
Foreign tourists on U Bein Bridge.
However, tourists who show symptoms of COVID-19 are still required to take RDTs and they will be allowed to continue their tours when they test negative, according to the announcement of the ministry.
In the same way as easing COVID-19 restrictions for foreign tourists, search operations at checkpoints along land travels should also be eased, Chairman U Zaw Wate of Myanmar Hoteliers Association (Bagan Zone) told the CNI.
He told the CNI, "There are checkpoints along roads. Soldiers and the police conduct search operations there. They should change their practices for foreign tourists. Senior officers should take care of search operations for foreigners. Soldiers are not educated and some of them are drunk the whole day and are rude. Such behaviours tarnish the image of the country. Moreover, such soldiers have never seen passports and they don't know how to check the documents but they talk about irrelevant facts. Such manners hurt the image of the country and should be changed."
Tour operators and hoteliers said that easing COVID-19 restrictions at Myanmar airports must be made known to foreign tourists widely.
"Normally, inbound tourist arrivals drop in Christmas and New Year. In other countries, air tickets are more expensive during Christmas and New Year. So, they just return to their families and do not travel abroad during this period. As a result, tourist arrivals are not likely to increase significantly at present. However, it is the highest season for outbound tours and domestic tourism in 2022. Outbound tourists are preparing to travel abroad during the Christmas and the New Year while domestic tourists are making bookings for hotel rooms and vehicles. It is the highest season for domestic and outbound tourism," U Naung Naung Han told the CNI.
Although foreign tourists are no longer required to take RDTs at the airport, they are still required to submit their vaccine certificates and negative test results conducted within the past 48 hours.
