MYANMAR travel companies are looking to upgrade tourist facilities to accommodate the increasing numbers of Chinese visitors coming to Myitkyina from Tengchong, the capital of Baoshan district in China’s Yunnan Province, via the border town of Kan Pai Tae.

Starting next season, Treasure Travel and Tour Company will offer package tours between Myitkyina and prime destinations such as Bagan, Ngwe Saung Beach and Chaungtha Beach, especially for Chinese visitors from Tengchong.

Ko San Win Chein, the general manager of Treasure Travel and Tour, said Chinese visitors were looking beyond Myitkyina, which has few tourist attractions. They would like to visit more destinations in Myanmar, especially Bagan and the beaches.

Visitors from Tengchong cross the border into Myanmar and go to Myitkyina. From there they will fly to Bagan or the beaches by charter flight from Air Bagan. At the end of the tour, they will return to Tengchong via the border.

“There was no direct flight from Myitkyina to Bagan and the beach destinations. We have only one option, which is to operate a charter flight from Myitkyina,” Ko Sen Win Chein said.

The Myitkyina-Kan Pai Tae road, which opened in April last year, was built by the Chinese government. The total length of the road is about 140 miles, or about four hours’ drive from Myitkyina to Tengchong.

Endeavour Travel and Tours in Yangon has been operating a Myitkyina-Myitsone package for three days/two nights or four days/three nights for Chinese visitors since last year in collaboration with the Tengchong Five Continent Travel Services Company.

Myitkyina is the largest town in Kachin State. From Myitkyina, visitors can tour the confluence at Myitsone of the Maykha and Malikha rivers, the source of the Ayeyarwady River.

“In Myitkyina, visitors want to visit Indawgyi Lake and Phakant, the land of jade. We can arrange sightseeing tour to Phakant with government approval. But at Indawgyi Lake, there is no standard hotel or restaurant for tourists,” he said. Set amid snow-capped mountains, Putao is another town in Kachin State. The area is cool the whole year round and there are many varieties of citrus fruits grown in the orchards.

“We have Malikha Lodge for luxury tours in Putao. It will reopen next October in the peak season. It is the nearest town to the base camp for climbing Mt Khakhaborazi about 5889 metres, which is the highest mountain in Southeast Asia,” he said.

He said that in order to encourage more visitors, it was necessary to develop new hotels, restaurants and other facilities in Kachin State, including upgrading the border entry point.

“I have found about five hotels which are not standard level. The area needs new more hotels and restaurants. We also need to upgrade the border checkpoint with full facilities. Under Htoo Trading, we are planning to build a new four-star hotel in Myitkyina,” he said.

Ko San Win Chein said Myitkyina receives at least 500 Chinese visitors a month via the border, compared to the 193,319 international visitors who entered through Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Muse last year. A total of about 30,792 Chinese tourists visited Myanmar last year. He said the package will be on offer from October because mudslides or flooding may occur during the monsoon.

Asia Greatness Travel and Tour Company in Yangon has also signed a memorandum of understanding with China’s Shanghai Railway International Travel Group Company to operate package tours between China and Myanmar, flying from Guangzhou to Yangon on China Southern Airline.

Dr Maung Maung Oo, the managing director of the company, said they expect at least 200 visitors a month.