MMC to organise Mandalay festival

THE Myanmar Marketing Committee (MMC) is organising a Celebration Mandalay 2009 festival on January 24 and 25 at Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel with the aim of attracting tourists to Myanmar’s second largest city.
MMC public relations manager Khine Wai Thwe said the event – which is being organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar Hotelier Association (MHA) and Union of Myanmar Travel Association – would include music, shopping, food and games.
“This celebration is to welcome Myanmar tourism season 2009 and attract tourists to experience the unique culture and traditions of Mandalay,” she said.
She said the festival, which will be free to the public, will also include cultural dances, martial arts and chinlon demonstrations, merchandise stalls and lucky draws. There will also be a rock concert featuring Zaw Win Htut and Tun Eindra Bo performing with the Emperor Band at 7pm on the 24th. Tickets are available for K5000 and K15,000 per person at Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel, Mandalay Swan Hotel, Zeigyo Hotel, Hotel Mandalay and Blazon in Mandalay.
MMC is also planning to organise Celebration Yangon 2009 on April 4 and 5 at Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon, said Khine Wai Thwe. – Zaw Win Than

Myanmar attends tourism forum

THE Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA), Myanmar Marketing Committee (MMC) and three local travel companies are participating in the 28th ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009 (ATF 2009) being held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from January 5 to 12.
“MMC and UMTA are attending ATF as representatives of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism,” said Daw Thida Htun, head of office for UMTA.
Daw Thida Htun said the last three days of the forum are reserved as a gathering for buyers and sellers. She said UMTA, MMC and one travel company will take part as sellers of travel packages, while the other two tour companies will participate as buyers.
“UMTA will promote Myanmar as a travel destination by distributing magazines, maps and guidebooks that give information about destinations in Myanmar,” she said.
ATF is an annual travel trade show that rotates among the 10 member countries of ASEAN, which aside from Vietnam and Myanmar include Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia and Laos. Sellers and buyers representing the tourism industries of all 10 ASEAN countries are taking part. – Pan Eiswe Star

Online education programs: Smart

A YANGON-based education consulting company is conducting negotiations on a deal that might allow local students access to online learning programs conducted by four universities from the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.
U Nay Lynn Phyo, a director at Smart Resources, said the company will offer these services in combination with an as-yet unnamed Singapore-based private education organisation.
He said the company will provide student support services such as registration, administration and payment for 12 programs, which relate to information technology and business, at bachelors and masters degree levels.
“The project is now under discussion but we don’t know if or when it will start. However, if we start it, we’ll begin with the UK universities first,” he said. – Kyaw Zin Htun