I have always taken the stance that even though Burma is ruled by an oppressive military junta, tour operators with ethical policies should continue to run programmes in this country.
Not only does tourism allow the population to earn money and priceless foreign currency but it also ensures the reality of their day-to-day existence under such conditions can be understood by a potentially global audience.
It is to this end I chose to highlight in this week’s Travel Weekly TransIndus managing director Amrit Singh’s decision to continue running tours to the country.
This is despite being blacklisted by the Burma Campaign UK which accuses the operator of using hotels and transport infrastructure built by slave labour as well as financially aiding the regime.
The question is currently particularly pertinent thanks to last month’s pro-democracy protests led by Buddhist monks but which have now been brutally suppressed at the cost of perhaps thousands of lives.
Singh denies the accusations vehemently stating she only uses private, smaller guest houses while private drivers are used to ferry her customers around the country, thereby avoiding the need to use the railways which she admits have been built under horrific conditions.
Her reasons for doing so? She believes only by revealing the plight of the country’s people to the wider world will the country’s dictators be persuaded to embrace change while the fact that only 2% of a tour’s cost ends up going to the Burmese government means she can sleep soundly at night.
In this sense it is heartening to see The Times’ former travel editor Cath Urquhart today arguing that if change is to be effected, westerners must continue to visit the country to understand just how much change is needed.
Despite having stood down, Urquhart continues to have considerable clout and we should be pleased she has chosen to highlight to a wider audience the good that the travel industry can do if the intentions are pure and the methods as ethical as possible.
by Edward Robertson
Well done to Amrit Singh and Transindus. We must continue to have responsible tourism to Countries whose economies are dependent on the outside World visiting and experiencing the true heart and nature of a Country, in times of trouble, Natural disasters,etc.
Our latest Blog post on http://www.selectworld.travel shows our Consultant Paul Knapper on a recent educational trip with Transindus in India, Paul has put together some great Photos of his visit and Experience. Paul commented on his trip, that many former unemployed People are being encouraged by the Indian Government, to set up their own Street trading businesses and how wonderful the people were.
It Would be a disaster if in certain countries that access was re-stricted and just as much a disaster if clients turned their backs on those Countries that deperatly need Tourism to survive as a race