Buffalo Tours Agency (BTA) has set up its own ground operations and officially launched an office in Yangon, the Vietnam-based boutique travel company announced.
The main aim of the new office, Buffalo Tours Myanmar, is to offer “inspirational, unique, affordable and responsible travel experiences,” it said.
To mark the opening the firm has offered a special package, “Discover Asia’s Golden Land on an 8 day Pandaw Cruise”, which offers tours to ancient temples of Bagan, among others.
Select departures in July, August and September will receive a 10 percent discount, the company said. The retail price for the tour is A$919 ($853), which includes agent commission.
In addition to this promotion, BTA said it will offer a range of authentic accommodation options, unique cultural experiences and soft adventure activities.
“We are aware of the difficulties in hotel availability and booking travel to Myanmar, therefore our aim is simplify the booking process and provide greater accessibility to the travel trade,” BTA said in a statement.
Other packages from BTA include: Classic Myanmar – 14 Days / 13 Nights (Yangon – Bagan – Mandalay – Sagaing – Inle Lake – Ngapali); Myanmar Adventure – 12 Days / 11 Nights (Yangon – Inle Lake – Heho – Ketung – Mandalay – Amarapura – Bagan – Mount Popa); Essence of Myanmar – 13 Days / 12 Nights (Mandalay – Pyin Oo Lwin – Bagan – Mount Popa – Inle Lake – Ngapali – Yangon); Ngwesaung Beach Break – 4 Days / 3 Nights (Yangon – Pathein – Ngwesaung); and Ngapali Beach Break – 4 Days / 3 Nights (Yangon – Thandwe – Ngapali).
The unprecedented changes over the last couple of years in Myanmar have grabbed the world’s attention, suddenly making the once-shunned, despot-ruled country into the “It” place to be – for tourists, conglomerates and investors alike.
Global tour and travel companies and luxury river cruise operators are also looking to bank on the surge of flocking tourists. Many have beefed up their operations, announced new custom-designed tour packages and have offered lucrative discounts to grab a piece of the pie.
British adventure travel company Tucan Travel in December last year released 14 new adventure tours which combine travel in Myanmar with the rest of Southeast Asia. California-based AmaWaterways said in November 2013 that it will launch a new ship and new river cruise program on Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady river this year.
AmaWaterways’ Australian partner, Australian Pacific Touring (APT), also announced in November that it will launch a new river cruise program. Another travel company Backyard Travel, a Bangkok-based Asia travel specialist, in November announced discounted promotions for three of their Myanmar tours to lure more clients.
In 2011, over 800,000 tourists visited Myanmar, an increase of 30 percent from the previous year. In 2012, more than 1 million foreign tourists visited the once-disputed country and that figure is expected to rise to around 1.5 million in 2013.
