Luke Clark looks at where Myanmar as a destination might go from here; an update from the boss of Diethelm Travel; and some reactions to it -

One of the highlights of my travel trade writing has been charting the progress of Mekong Tourism. From early stories from my father's work there, to late 1990s exposure through Raffles International and PATA, the Mekong has held an allure for me, which it always delivered on.

Watching Cambodia and Laos host their first ASEAN Tourism Forums was a fascinating experience, and I always found the youthful energy infectious.

In a similar sense, I got a buzz from operators on the ground, who were eagerly pioneering new routes once blocked by war - and singing the praises of new beach destinations that I hadn't seen yet. I have vivid memories of diving over uncharted coral on the Cambodia-Vietnam border - and traversing the wild upper Mekong River in Laos with Asian Oasis.

I was at the ASEAN meeting in Laos when Myanmar announced its intentions to host ATF in their country. At the time, indications from the trade and the political sphere seemed to point to an inevitable opening up for the nation's tourism. It's sad how quickly things change.

It may take a long time before even champions of Myanmar's tourism think it's time for people to return. But until that time, those who care about the country's people need to sit down and openly discuss the implications of outside policies.

For instance, should humanitarian aid be denied to Myanmar? There are many regimes we disagree with, where we still send doctors and medicine. And down the line, will the presence of tourists in the country help or hinder the quest of the Burmese people to improve the lot of the people?

It would be nice to see a non-politician eventually spearhead the drive for a constructive dialogue from the travel community with Myanmar. And not a figure who is beholden to either side of the political sphere, as both tend to be extreme and poles apart.

Perhaps such an effort could involve benign figures like Lonely Planet's Tony and Maureen Wheeler, long a champion of the destination and more a beneficiary of having sold their driving stake in the business.

Historically, ASEAN countries have liberalised despite political reluctance - and when the countries opened up and the economies improved, the governments in turn became less jumpy. Outside of ASEAN, China is a perfect case in point.

Despite such dark days recently, I strongly suspect the efforts of both monks and tour operators alike to open up Myanmar will not come to nothing. At least for the sake of the country's people, I'm hopeful.

Luke Clark's other writings can be found at www.thetransitcafe.com . Get your weekly cuppa of news, gossip, humour and opinion at the cafe for travel insiders.

STOP PRESS

A letter from Diethelm Travel

Yangon, Myanmar, 8 October 2007; reflections by John Watson, CEO, Diethelm Travel

"As I sit here in the late afternoon overlooking the water from the Dusit Inya Lake Resort in Yangon, it is difficult to reconcile the peace and tranquility against the images in the media of Myanmar over the last short period of time.

There is little doubt that tourism to Myanmar will experience a major downturn in the months ahead. It has been my long-held view that boycotts only harm the people and are not agents for change. Inter-governmental trade in raw materials and energy accounts for far greater economic sums than tourism, where the majority of money spent trickles down to the small businesses and individuals who need it most.

The primary purpose of my trip today? To meet with the vast majority of Diethelm Travel's 60 staff in Myanmar face to face and inform them that we will not be laying anyone off, putting staff on short-time, or cutting pay. We will get through the downturn ahead together, and we view supporting our people in difficult times as a fundamental principle of a caring employer who has operated in Myanmar for over a decade.

The relief from our staff was palpable. They were comforted beyond words that their income was being guaranteed, and that they and their families had nothing to worry about on that front.

The secondary purpose of my trip was to talk to local people working in the tourism sector, and to understand their current thinking and perspectives in order to provide our customers with informed and relevant advice about travel to Myanmar.

The key message I heard repeated again and again; "Please tell the world that Myanmar is safe for tourists. Our hotels, shops, and restaurants are very quiet and we rely on tourism for our livelihoods. We are afraid we will soon not be able to support our families."

So what else did I find on my travels? Well, one thing I did not find – soldiers. From the moment of my arrival, to my departure, I encountered not a single one. I toured Yangon for several hours, visited all the major tourist sites, and everything was peaceful. I had a semi pre-conceived idea that there would be check-points on most street corners and junctions; there were none.

Myanmar is entering what is normally its peak season. The downturn means there are no queues at the usually busy attractions. Our thanks go to the airlines and most hotels who have allowed cancellations with no penalties; a pragmatic approach that will be remembered by the trade. Our thanks also to our many customers from all over the world for their kind messages of support.

Communications to, from, and within Myanmar continues to be problematical; no change there. Diethelm Travel has satellite phones in Bagan, Inle Lake, Mandalay and Yangon, so we are one of the few operators with full phone communication capabilities. Emails are still slow and unreliable. We have, therefore, positioned our Assistant Managing Director, Esther Oertle in Bangkok, to act as quality control for all outgoing and incoming emails to/from Myanmar.

Should anyone wish to visit, given all I saw and heard, I have concluded that it is safe to go to Myanmar where a warm welcome from the locals awaits. Normal precautions should be observed, as in any destination experiencing change; avoid anything remotely resembling a crowd gathering and listen to the advice from government organizations and competent authorities and the media.

We shall, of course, monitor the situation carefully and keep everyone updated."

www.diethelmtravel.com