As part of the ‘two countries, one destination’ campaign, the
Myanmar and Cambodia tourism ministers will ink a Memorandum of
Agreement to tie Angkor Wat and the Bagan Cultural City, said U Kyaw Swa
Min, a member of Working Group Committee for Angkor-Bagan tourism
cooperation.
He told The Myanmar Times the agreement will be signed at the ASEAN Tourism Forum in 2018.
“We
will negotiate a bilateral agreement for an Angkor-Bagan tourism
integration plan between us before the MoA is signed by the two
ministers,” he said.
U Kyaw Swa Min said the working group
committee, led by the deputy directors general of the tourism ministries
of both sides, are working out details on how to integrate a tourism
package for Angkor and Bagan.
“Angkor Wat and Bagan are similar
in natural features and were founded in the same century. They are also
quite unique, and that is why we grouped them for development as one
destination,” U Kyaw Swa Min said.
Currently Nyaung-U airport
cannot receive foreign flights because it is a domestic airport.
Tourists have to take a flight via Yangon or Mandalay international
airports to get to Bagan.
Tourists cannot fly directly to and
from Angkor Wat and on to Bagan from Nyaung-U airport now because it
does not have enough staff.
“Even regular flights from regional
countries cannot be accommodated unless they upgrade the facilities at
Nyaung-U airport,” U Kyaw Swa Min said.
Nyaung-U airport is being
including as part of the ancient archaeology zone that needs to pass a
heritage impact assessment before being allowed to be upgraded,
according to the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library
in Bagan.
U Aung Aung Kyaw, director of the department said, ”We have to do a
heritage impact assessment but it will be done by aviation experts. We
need to do this because there will be many types of aircraft landing and
taking off.
“We also do not know what ancient structures are present underground.”
The
Department of Civil Aviation, (DCA) can allow international flights
with aircraft capacity limitations but this needs to be approved by the
Immigration Department for visa regulation purposes, U Ye Htut Aung,
deputy director general of DCA, said in a previous interview with The Myanmar Times.
Almost 300,000 tourists visit Bagan yearly.
There
are three ways to reach the destination -- by car, plane and water
(river cruise). And all foreigners have to pay a K25,000 fee to enter
the ancient archaeology zone.
Daw Khin Moh Moh Aung, a local
resident, said, ”We welcome whatever they decide that it is good and
beneficial for our regional development.
“But one thing to
consider before they do anything is security, which is very important,
not only for local people but also for tourists, because we want to be
happy no matter who comes to visit our land.
.
