Wise News-A land controlled by terr

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Subject: Wise News-A land controlled by terrotists

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Tuesday, January 4 9:44 AM SGT=20
A land `unlike
A land `unlike=20
any you know'=20

Land of enchantment: Royal Lake Lay Kyaung Kandawgyi in Mandalay.=20

Below, the sumptuous Strand Hotel in Yangon offers de luxe hospitality.=20

Gerry Xavier=20

FEELING the need to flee the madding crowd? Head for Myanmar. Its =
natural beauty, diverse geography, warm gentle people and tranquillity =
can be your elixir.=20

These offerings moved poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling to describe =
Myanmar _ then known as Burma _ as ``quite unlike any land you will ever =
know''.=20

It's hardly surprising, therefore, that tourism rapidly has become a =
major economic growth sector again, after the lifting of travel =
restrictions within the country.=20

The ban had been part of Myanmar's unfortunate 30-year experiment with =
socialism. Now the government is courting foreign investment, and the =
industry is being given a much-needed boost.=20

Tourist arrivals have jumped from 60,000 in 1994 to around 200,000 =
currently, a figure that excludes cross-border visitors from China, =
Thailand, India and other countries sharing a common frontier with =
Myanmar.=20

Visitors from Hong Kong have also increased, with the consulate-general =
here issuing more than 20,000 visas last year, 3,500 of these were for =
business travellers.=20

Visa applications have been greatly streamlined as part the government's =
effort to attract visitors to country. In Hong Kong, a prospective =
visitor who submits an application in the morning will receive a visa =
before 5pm the same day.=20

To enable visitors to stay longer and to see more of the country, 28-day =
visas are currently being issued with an optional extension of a further =
14 days.=20

Signs of a further take-off in tourist business are quite noticeable in =
Yangon, Myanmar's capital, where an increasing number of five-star =
hotels have sprung up in recent years. The Strand Hotel, one of the few =
grand old hotels of Asia, built in 1901, was renovated in 1993, and =
continues to be a national landmark.=20

It is also still one of the most popular hotels in Yangon and a =
favourite meeting place for the rich and famous.=20

Its managing director, Sukhdeep Singh, said the greatest care was taken =
during the renovation to preserve the the original proportions of the =
building and to maintain the ``atmosphere of elegance and comfort'' for =
which the Strand was renowned.=20

The hotel was owned and operated by the Sarkies brothers, who developed =
a chain of de luxe hotels in Asia, including the Raffles in Singapore =
and the Eastern and Oriental in Penang, Malaysia.=20

To date, more than 45 projects involving hotels, resorts and commercial =
complexes have been built in Myanmar, most with foreign capital.=20

Yangon has the lion's share of the facilities. But the government is =
also looking at other places _ Mandalay, Bagan and Inlay Ngpali _ which =
have a similar urgent need for tourist facilities. These spots, too, =
have much to offer visitors whose numbers are growing rapidly.=20

The government is seeking foreign investment in facilities such as golf =
courses, beach resorts, tourist villages, theme parks and recreational =
centres plus related infrastructure like airports, roads, rails and =
telecommunications.=20

On becoming a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations =
(Asean) in 1998, Myanmar lost no time in forging joint ventures to boost =
tourism. These were in addition to existing bilateral arrangements with =
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand as well as those of the =
Mekong sub-region.=20

The government has embarked on an ambitious overseas promotion program =
and has taken part in tourism fairs around the world, including Germany, =
Britain, Malaysia and China. It also staged expos in Singapore and =
Thailand.=20

A message the Tourism Ministry stresses is that Myanmar is an emerging =
tourist destination, rich in culture and natural attractions _ and is a =
short flight from most Asean countries.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Tuesday, January 4</B> 9:44 AM SGT=20
<H2>A land `unlike</H2>A land `unlike=20
<P>any you know'=20
<P>Land of enchantment: Royal Lake Lay Kyaung Kandawgyi in Mandalay.=20
<P>Below, the sumptuous Strand Hotel in Yangon offers de luxe =
hospitality.=20
<P>Gerry Xavier=20
<P>FEELING the need to flee the madding crowd? Head for Myanmar. Its =
natural=20
beauty, diverse geography, warm gentle people and tranquillity can be =
your=20
elixir.=20
<P>These offerings moved poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling to describe =
Myanmar _=20
then known as Burma _ as ``quite unlike any land you will ever know''.=20
<P>It's hardly surprising, therefore, that tourism rapidly has become a =
major=20
economic growth sector again, after the lifting of travel restrictions =
within=20
the country.=20
<P>The ban had been part of Myanmar's unfortunate 30-year experiment =
with=20
socialism. Now the government is courting foreign investment, and the =
industry=20
is being given a much-needed boost.=20
<P>Tourist arrivals have jumped from 60,000 in 1994 to around 200,000 =
currently,=20
a figure that excludes cross-border visitors from China, Thailand, India =
and=20
other countries sharing a common frontier with Myanmar.=20
<P>Visitors from Hong Kong have also increased, with the =
consulate-general here=20
issuing more than 20,000 visas last year, 3,500 of these were for =
business=20
travellers.=20
<P>Visa applications have been greatly streamlined as part the =
government's=20
effort to attract visitors to country. In Hong Kong, a prospective =
visitor who=20
submits an application in the morning will receive a visa before 5pm the =
same=20
day.=20
<P>To enable visitors to stay longer and to see more of the country, =
28-day=20
visas are currently being issued with an optional extension of a further =
14=20
days.=20
<P>Signs of a further take-off in tourist business are quite noticeable =
in=20
Yangon, Myanmar's capital, where an increasing number of five-star =
hotels have=20
sprung up in recent years. The Strand Hotel, one of the few grand old =
hotels of=20
Asia, built in 1901, was renovated in 1993, and continues to be a =
national=20
landmark.=20
<P>It is also still one of the most popular hotels in Yangon and a =
favourite=20
meeting place for the rich and famous.=20
<P>Its managing director, Sukhdeep Singh, said the greatest care was =
taken=20
during the renovation to preserve the the original proportions of the =
building=20
and to maintain the ``atmosphere of elegance and comfort'' for which the =
Strand=20
was renowned.=20
<P>The hotel was owned and operated by the Sarkies brothers, who =
developed a=20
chain of de luxe hotels in Asia, including the Raffles in Singapore and =
the=20
Eastern and Oriental in Penang, Malaysia.=20
<P>To date, more than 45 projects involving hotels, resorts and =
commercial=20
complexes have been built in Myanmar, most with foreign capital.=20
<P>Yangon has the lion's share of the facilities. But the government is =
also=20
looking at other places _ Mandalay, Bagan and Inlay Ngpali _ which have =
a=20
similar urgent need for tourist facilities. These spots, too, have much =
to offer=20
visitors whose numbers are growing rapidly.=20
<P>The government is seeking foreign investment in facilities such as =
golf=20
courses, beach resorts, tourist villages, theme parks and recreational =
centres=20
plus related infrastructure like airports, roads, rails and =
telecommunications.=20
<P>On becoming a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian =
Nations=20
(Asean) in 1998, Myanmar lost no time in forging joint ventures to boost =

tourism. These were in addition to existing bilateral arrangements with =
Vietnam,=20
Laos, Cambodia, Singapore and Thailand as well as those of the Mekong=20
sub-region.=20
<P>The government has embarked on an ambitious overseas promotion =
program and=20
has taken part in tourism fairs around the world, including Germany, =
Britain,=20
Malaysia and China. It also staged expos in Singapore and Thailand.=20
<P>A message the Tourism Ministry stresses is that Myanmar is an =
emerging=20
tourist destination, rich in culture and natural attractions _ and is a =
short=20
flight from most Asean countries. </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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