Burma Cultural tours holidays

Burma: A little history…

As of May 2011, we here at responsibletravel.com lifted our policy of not advertising holidays to Burma.

Burma had been under the military rule of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), an abominable military junta that had, despite facing international condemnation and sanctions, ruled since 1988. In 1990, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide victory in Burma’s first multi-party elections for thirty years. The party was never allowed to govern and the democratically elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi had restrictions placed upon her, including many years of house arrest.

Aung San Suu Kyi repeatedly asked tourists not to visit Burma; "I still think that people should not come to Burma because the bulk of the money from tourism goes straight into the pockets of the generals. And not only that, it's a form of moral support for them because it makes the military authorities think that the international community is not opposed to the human rights violations which they are committing all the time. They seem to look on the influx of tourists as proof that their actions are accepted by the world." (Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, January 1999)

We supported this view until the following statement was released in May 2011.

"The NLD would welcome visitors who are keen to promote the welfare of the common people and the conservation of the environment and to acquire an insight into the cultural, political and social life of the country while enjoying a happy and fulfilling holiday in Burma."

In response to this, we lifted our boycott.

"Right from our start in 2001 we've upheld a ban on tourism to Burma based on the request made by Aung San Suu Kyi for tourists not to visit. I am aware that many tourism businesses, of all types, are now keen to develop tourism in Burma. The message from Aung San Suu Kyi is clear - she only wants respectful tourism and is interested to see responsible tourism develop in Burma. So we are welcoming to our collection those Burma holidays and companies who operate responsibly in the region and work to establish deep connections that benefit local economies and preserve cultures against the potential harms of tourism.” Justin Francis, founder and managing director of responsibletravel.com

Want to know more about Burma before going on holiday?

Find out more about Burma by reading these Burma articles.

A statement released by The National League for Democracy (NLD) last Friday was reported yesterday in The Irrawaddy newspaper under the headline ‘NLD Welcomes Responsible Tourism, But Warns Against Abuses’. In response, responsibletravel.com announced it has lifted the ban on Burma-based holidays from its website but urges the travel industry to act with care and avoid 'irresponsible' tourism development in the region. It also urges the Burmese Government and newly formed Burmese Tourist Board to work with the NLD and local people to put a responsible tourism plan in place. Read more about responsibletravel.com's response to Burma in this Burma press release from 27 May 2011.

Burma (or Myanmar) is a well preserved example of pristine South East Asian culture and scenery, due to its isolation it remains relatively untouched by Western influences. Tourism to the country has however been widely linked to human rights abuse, and the country's pro-democracy leader and Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi has asked tourists to stay away - a boycott that has been supported by the international community. But this isolation of Burma’s people has caused increasing divide as to whether the boycott should continue to be upheld, and we ask if staying away from Burma is still the right thing to do, or if it is time to lift the boycott on this magical but troubled country. Find out more about the ethics of travelling to country under military rule in Iris's Burma article from May 2006.