The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar announced that Minister Counsellor Dr. Zheng Zhihong attended the closing ceremony of the Lancang-Mekong Project “Establishment of Tourism Research Center” on March 30. The project was conducted by the Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism with the support of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Special Fund. The event was attended by U Aung Thaw, Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism, and U Win Zeyar Tun, Vice Chairman of the LMC National Coordination Unit (Myanmar).
Dr. Zheng congratulated Myanmar on the successful completion of the project and the positive outcomes it has produced. The project has facilitated the collection of basic data on tourism industry development, which can be used to plan tourism policies and improve human resources in the sector. The project’s achievements will continue to benefit Myanmar’s tourism industry in the long run by promoting the research of tourism development and the construction of a modern tourism system.
China, as a friendly neighbor of Myanmar, has been supportive of the country’s tourism industry development and has been facilitating China-Myanmar tourism cooperation. It is restoring its tourism industry to its pre-pandemic level at an unexpected speed, and its reopening has played a significant role in the recovery of the international tourism industry. China’s neighbors, including Myanmar, will be among the first to benefit from the recovery of Chinese tourism.
U Aung Thaw expressed his gratitude to the LMC Special Fund for its support and highlighted the project’s fruitful outcomes, including the establishment of a research team, the development of a research plan, the compilation of a research report on Myanmar’s tourism data, the creation of a training manual, and the provision of training across the country. The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism plans to use the project’s results to formulate policies based on data and build a sustainable modern tourism system.
U Win Zeyar Tun also praised the project’s outcomes and highlighted the importance of the LMC in maintaining regional peace, prosperity, and sustainable development despite global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest, and economic downturn.