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| banking on myanmar |
| Bangkok Airways (PG) is planning to set up an airline in Myanmar, which, if it receives the backing of the government in Yangon, could mark a new beginning for tourism to the beleaguered country. |
 A spokesman for PG president and CEO, Dr Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, said the airline would be called Bagan Air and could be in operation by early next year if talks continued at their present pace.
The idea of forming a new airline was presented by Dr Prasert during a special audience with the Myanmar government leader, Senior General Than Shwe, during inaugural celebrations of PG's Bangkok-Yangon service early in June.
"Dr Prasert explained what Siem Reap Airways did for tourism for Cambodia and proposed the same business model to general Than Shwe," the spokesman said.
Siem Reap Airways was formed in November 2000 in a deal which saw PG pump cash, aircraft and personnel into a Cambodian registered company which is operating for a fixed period under a profit- sharing deal, the full details of which have never been fully divulged.
Siem Reap Airways, which has a paid up capital of US$2.6 million and is owned 49 per cent by PG and 51 per cent by an unknown Cambodian partner, is credited with helping put Angkor Wat on the world tourism map.
The spokesman said the Myanmar plan was to set up a similar arrangement which would see an airline operate under the Myanmar flag with domestic and international services.
The plan also includes promoting Bagan and Mandalay as cultural destinations to rival Angkor and commits PG shareholders to developing a beach destination called Mawyit.
“We are talking about how these three destinations would be promoted. The talks are ongoing and will be summarised in a detailed study plan which will be presented a couple of months from now," the spokesman said.
Mekong World Heritage Tour woes
AGENTS in Bangkok pointed out this week that Bangkok Airways' (PG) much publicised Mekong World Heritage Tour, which was announced to a fanfare of publicity at ITB in March 2001, appears to have run into trouble.
Several agents said the product was suspended in March 2003, just nine months after being launched, ostensibly because of the impact of SARS. Although it was supposed to be reintroduced in the high season last year, it failed to materialise.
A PG spokesman told TTG Asia this week it had considered reintroducing the tour in January this year but decided to postpone it pending redesign. "We are now proposing to relaunch it in October, this time without the Luang Prabang (Laos) - Danang (Vietnam) sector, because that was the weakest link and was costing us too much money."
The original tour was routedBangkok - Sukhothai - Luang Prabang - Danang - Siem Reap -Bangkok, to include five of UNESCO's World Heritage sites in four countries in an eight -day/seven-night trip.
The product was the dream-child of PG president and CEO, Dr Prasert, who wanted to develop a tour that would focus on the cultural links common to the several countries of the Mekong region.
Initially the tour was available only through Diethelm Travel (Thailand), Indo-China Services and Pink Rose Holidays, but was later opened up to other agents. Diethelm Travel Thailand former general manager, Mr Marcel Schneider, said at the launch the product was "an absolute winner".
"It is a fabulous itinerary and will certainly appeal to culture-vultures who want to see the finest sites in the region in the shortest possible time."
SARS, the Iraq war and a downturn in the European economy have all been cited as reasons for the product not taking off. Nobody could pinpoint why such an attractive package did not work. |
| Posted on 20 May, 2008, Resource from By Jeremy Colson |
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