Tourists taking the bullock carts for sightseeing in Bagan, Mandalay Region. Photo: Phoe Khwar
THE Ministry of Hotels and Tourism announced that it will officially celebrate World Tourism Day 2017 on 9 October at the Myanmar International Convention Centre-2 in Nay Pyi Taw on a grand scale.
World Tourism Day is commemorated yearly on 27 September in most countries across the globe, with the purpose of fostering awareness among the international community of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value, while mobilising all stakeholders to work together in making tourism a catalyst for positive change.
World Tourism Day has been celebrated since 1980.
This year’s World Tourism Day will be celebrated under the theme “Sustainable Tourism — a Tool for Development.”
The Hotels and Tourism Ministry is putting continuous efforts to explore new travel destinations whereas it is implementing community-based tourism and ecotourism in resource-rich areas in collaboration with relevant government departments and tourism organizations.
According to the ministry, it is expected to receive around 3.5 million tourist arrivals this year. Between January and July, the country hosted more than 2 million tourists, an increase of 20 per cent when compared to the same period last year.
Thailand tops the list of foreign visitors to Myanmar from Asia, while the United States is ranked first among Western travellers.
Shwe Khine
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