Wild Frontiers

Myanmar (Burma) Policy

I have always tried to run Wild Frontiers from an apolitical standpoint. To judge whether a government is benevolent enough to make it suitable for tourism is fraught with potential inconsistencies, bias and hypocrisy. Much better I’ve always believed to run all our trips in as responsible a manner as possible and let our clients decide for themselves if they wish to visit a certain country or not.

That said, there are always exceptions, and up until November 2010, Burma was generally considered to be one. Accused of multiple human rights violations, the ruling military junta was thought to be beyond the pale, and an unofficial tourist boycott was in place. But at the end of last year, elections (albeit rigged ones) were held, the generals handed power to a ‘civilianised’ government and released Aung San Suu Kyi – the democratically elected leader – from house arrest. She then dropped her opposition to tourism, arguing that as long as it is done responsibly, tourism can be a positive stance for change.

But how easy is it to travel responsibly? How does the ethical traveller make sure the money they are spending reaches ordinary Burmese? Before launching our programme to the country, I decided to go and find out. And from my travels in the country I discovered that the truth is you can’t avoid financing the government completely; with a 10% tax on hotels and most restaurants, it’s inevitable that some funds will find their way into their coffers. But I also learnt if you do your homework, and avoid those hotels either owned by the government or their privileged cronies, it is possible to keep this amount to a minimum.

The other thing I found was that ordinary Burmese people certainly benefit from our presence, and were keen that we came. Whether this was one of the friendly touts trying to sell me everything from a Buddha’s heads to grasshoppers, tonga drivers, local guides, boatmen, drivers or just the staff employed by the hotels and restaurants, it was very obvious there were plenty of ordinary people making a living out of tourism. Early one morning I climbed the Shwe San Dan – literally Golden Haired – stupa in Bagan. This is the tallest of all Bagan’s temples and a great vantage point from which to enjoy sunrise. The domes, pinnacles, arches and towers, some covered in gold leaf, others natural terracotta, are an extraordinary site.

Burma has no listed UNESCO World Heritage sites, but if did, Bagan would lead the way. It is without any doubt one of the world’s most impressive tourist attractions. On the way down a monk engaged me in conversation and thanked me for visiting his country. Although it is impossible for me to know the true extent of human rights violations inflicted on the people of this wonderful country by the non-democratic government, or how much money they earn as a result of our presence, of three things I feel I can be sure. Firstly, this government is not in power because of tourism; compared to the income they derive from timber, oil and gas, gems and agricultural exports, the money made from tourists is insignificant. Secondly, there is no doubt in my mind that the vast majority of Burmese people want tourists to visit; a more welcoming and friendly population I have yet to find. And lastly, as mentioned above, it was also clear that a huge number of ordinary civilians, both directly and indirectly, benefit from our presence.

In my opinion, tourism does not sustain the generals; indeed it can be argued staying away leaves the country and its people more isolated and vulnerable. There should be other ways of persuading them to change. Ultimately it will be up to our clients to decide if they wish to visit Burma or not. But as I am convinced Wild Frontiers can both offer our clients an interesting experience, and in doing so, benefit the ordinary people of this beautiful country, from 2012 we will start to offer Burma as one of our destinations.

Click through for more information about our Tailor Made Holidays to Burma and our Small Group Adventure Tours to Burma