THE third Myanmar familiarisation trip for foreign travel writers will take place from October 25 to 31, and will include five writers from Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, said Myanmar Marketing Committee (MMC) chairperson Daw Su Su Tin.

She said the free trips – arranged by MMC, Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA) and Myanmar Hoteliers Association (MHA) – are aimed at allowing foreign media to “observe the stability of Myanmar’s tourism industry and to establish the country as a prime tourist destination”.

“The travel writers from the previous two trips were satisfied with our program. After visiting, they realised that cyclone Nargis didn’t hit the main tourist destinations like Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake, and even the beaches were virtually untouched,” she said.

The first trip took place from September 6 to 11, for writers from Travel Trade Report, Travel Trade Gazette and the in-flight magazine of Thai Airways. The second trip from September 27 to October 2 brought two more travel writers to the country.

The plan to show off Myanmar’s major tourism destinations to the foreign press was one of several initiatives agreed upon by government ministries and industry bodies at a September 9 meeting in Nay Pyi Taw.

“We have also decided to offer another free tour to invite foreign broadcast media to make video documentaries on Myanmar’s tourism highlights,” said Daw Su Su Tin.