YANGON, Myanmar - Ngokwezindinganiso zaseMyanmar, u-2010 bekuwunyaka omuhle kwezokuvakasha. Abasebenza kulo mkhakha bathi banethemba lokuthi intuthuko yezombusazwe yakamuva ingase yenze kube lula ukuheha abantu bakwamanye amazwe nakuba bengenalo ukholo olutheni ngombuso wezempi wokufuna izinguquko.
Ilinganiselwa ku-300,000 izivakashi zakwamanye amazwe ezivakashele izwe ngonyaka odlule, kusho imithombo kahulumeni, ukwanda ngamaphesenti angama-30 ngo-2009 futhi okungcono kunerekhodi langaphambilini lango-2006, i-Visit Myanmar Year esemthethweni. Kodwa ngisho nokwanda kwakamuva akubenzi ubulungiswa emandleni ezwe, okugcwele izintelezi zemvelo namasiko okufanele kuyenze ibe enye yezindawo ezihamba phambili zokuvakasha eNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia.
“Inani lezivakashi ezingu-300,000 alilikhulu kakhulu uma liqhathaniswa namazwe angomakhelwane njengeThailand, Malaysia, ngisho neLaos,” kusho uTin Tun Aung, unobhala-jikelele weMyanmar Travel Association. Ngonyaka odlule, izivakashi ezilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-15 zavakashela eThailand, izigidi ezingu-17 zaya eMalaysia, kanti eziyizigidi ezingu-1 zavakashela eLaos.
Umkhakha wezokuvakasha eMyanmar ube nengxenye yawo efanelekile yokungqongqoza kanzima eminyakeni yamuva nje. Ihlaselwe yizimo ezifanayo nezwe lonke: ukuqubuka kwesifo esibi kakhulu sokuphefumula, noma i-SARS, ngo-2003; i-tsunami ka-2004; amanani aphezulu kawoyela ngo-2008; kanye nokuwohloka kwezimali emhlabeni wonke ngo-2009. Kodwa iMyanmar, ebizwa nangokuthi iBurma, nayo ibe nezakho izinkinga ezikhethekile.
Kube nonya lokuhlaselwa kwamasosha emibhikishweni eyayiholwa izindela zamaBuddha ngoSepthemba, 2007, kwathi ngoMeyi, 2008, iCyclone Nargis yabulala abantu abalinganiselwa ku-138,000 futhi yashiya ingxenye enkulu ye-Irrawaddy Delta ibhidlika.
Ukucwaswa kwezepolitiki kuhambisana nokuvakashela iMyanmar, ebingaphansi kobushiqela bezempi kusukela ngo-1962.
U-Aung San Suu Kyi, isihlabani sentando yeningi eMyanmar, phambilini ubephikisana nezivakashi zakwamanye amazwe ezivakashela izwe lakhe njengoba esekela unswinyo lwezomnotho olwabekelwa izwe lakhe ngamademokhrasi aseNtshonalanga. Kusukela lapho usexegise isimo sakhe mayelana nezijeziso, wathi kufanele ziphele kulezo ezinomthelela omubi omncane kubantu baseMyanmar.
USuu Kyi wakhululwa ekuboshweni kwakhe iminyaka eyisikhombisa ngoNovemba 13, ezinsukwini eziyisithupha ngemuva kokuthi iMyanmar ibambe ukhetho lukazwelonke lokuqala emashumini amabili eminyaka, kodwa bekungakacaci ukuthi intuthuko yezepolitiki izobathinta kanjani ezokuvakasha.
"Angicabangi ukuthi ukunyakaza kwezivakashi kuhlobene kakhulu nepolitiki," kusho uLuzi Matzig, umqondisi wenkampani yase-Bangkok yase-Asian Trails, egxile kakhulu kwezokuvakasha eLaos, eCambodia, eMyanmar naseThailand.
”Uma isivakashi sifuna ukuya eMandalay noma ePagan, kuhle ukuzwa ukuthi ‘Intokazi” (uSuu Kyi) isikhululiwe, kodwa ingabe lokho kuzoba nomthelela esinqumweni sakhe sokuvakashela eMyanmar? Angicabangi kanjalo,” kusho uMatzig.
Abanikezeli bezokuvakasha baseMyanmar bathi ukusebenza kahle kwangonyaka odlule kudalulwe ukuxegiswa kwemithetho yama-visa kunentuthuko yezepolitiki. "Esinye sezizathu ezenza imboni yezokuvakasha ibe nonyaka omuhle ngo-2010 kungenxa yokwethulwa kwama-visa okufika," kusho uNay Zin Latt, iphini likasihlalo weMyanmar Hoteliers Association.
