Package Tour Available to Irrawaddy Delta in October

By VIOLET CHO

Tourists can visit the cyclone battered Irrawaddy delta and see the devastated communities firsthand starting in October. A leading tourist agency in Southeast Asia, Exotissimo Travel, plans to introduce a “Heart of the Delta” tour which offers tourists access to communities hit by Cyclone Nargis, which battered the delta in May.

“We will start to accept bookings from tourists who are interested in visiting the Irrawaddy delta by the beginning of October,” said Su Su Tin, managing director of Exotissimo Myanmar in Rangoon.

“The trip to the delta is possible now for tourists because there will be less rain starting in October,” she said.

Tourist companies in Burma say they are starting ad campaigns to draw more tourists to as the peak tourist season runs from October to February.

Following the cyclone, Exotissimo Travel established an emergency fund that collected US $10,000 for survivors.

“We will take tourists to the storm affected areas to see the real situation with the people there,” said Su Su Tin. “We will also have a fund for tourists who want to make donations to the cyclone affected communities they visit.”

The idea of creating tours to visit devastated communities drew criticism from some in the travel industry.

A senior staff member at a tourist agency in Rangoon said, “It is inappropriate and unethical to take tourists to visit disadvantaged people from the cyclone affected areas for the profit of your businesses.”

Tourism in Burma fell to nearly zero following the civil uprising in 2007 and then again following the cyclone in May 2008 and the ensuing publicity about the difficulties international aid agencies had in gaining access to the delta area. Many tour agencies cut staff and salaries.

A Rangoon-based tour guide said, “Tourism declined in the last couple of months because of the rainy season.” He said last year there tourists were visiting the country even during the rainy season. Tour operators expect tourism to increase steadily if there are no more uprisings or negative publicity.