After a complete ban on tourists for several many years, the state of Kayah in eastern Burma has opened as much as the surface world. Tourists flock here to catch a glimpse of its untouched beauty.
There at the moment are each day flights between Yangon and the state capital of Loikaw, and fleets of tourist boats still arrive from Inle Lake, a close-by beauty spot. Kayah State has never been busier.
“The expat community in Yangon is growing very quickly and people are looking for places to spend long weekends,” said Jens Uwe Parkitny, a Frankfurt-born photographer who recently opened a guesthouse in Loikaw.
On his first visit to Kayah State, Parkitny saw untapped potential in its rustic charm. As he predicted, his guesthouse rooms have been booked every weekend since opening in October. “Loikaw is so recent. It still appears like old Burma, which I associate with time travel and what Southeast Asia probably was like 60 years ago.
BETTER LIFE
In the past, tourists got here to Pan Pet only to take just a few photos and spent lower than an hour there. There was no sense of connection between the villagers and their guests, and the long-necked women could only expect to pay just a few dollars for a photograph session. However, following the ITC community-based tourism project, the gap between locals and tourists began to narrow.
At the identical time, the community has developed and the growing tourist presence has resulted in greater financial support from the federal government to enhance infrastructure. Mr. Pet now has running water, web connectivity and higher roads. Life has also improved financially.
Pan Pet’s community guide leader, Maung Tha, earns about $90 a month, $23 of which comes from farming and the remaining from climbing. Other villagers who should not community guides also saw their incomes increase. Tourists pay a small fee of $2 for every visit to a neighborhood house. After the tour, many visitors buy handmade souvenirs resembling scarves, bracelets and rings.
A BIG CHALLENGE
The residents of Pan Pet were surprised by such a lot of tourists. Last 12 months, Maung Tha and other guides taken care of about 10 guests every month. But this 12 months, that number has already doubled, and expertise in sustainable tourism and resource management has never been seen as more vital.
However, the fundamental goal is just not to draw tourists, but to create an efficient system that can help the village manage its affairs in a sustainable way, without destroying its resources before the tourism boom.
“We expect to welcome a lot of tourists in the future and of course there is still a lot to prepare. And for the residents it is a really big challenge” – Win Nie from the International Trade Center (ITC)
Source : Asia News Channel
