Myanmar to form Tourist Police for tourists safety

YANGON, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism will form " Tourist Police" unit for the sake of international visitor's security and safety, local media reported Monday. The unit is expected to form before the end of this year and it will perform tasks in regions where tourists mainly visit, said the Biweekly Eleven News. The purpose of forming tourist police is to help foreigners, provide tourists with necessary information related to railway stations, airports, bus terminals, shopping centers and prevent crimes in the tourists-dense areas as well as develop tourism industry in Myanmar. At present, tourist care centers were opened at Yangon, Mandalay and Nyaung U airports and more centers are to be launched across the country. According to statistics from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, a total of 420,000 tourists arrived in Myanmar from January to early November this year. The statistics also show that there were 1091 hotels and guesthouses offering 44,294 rooms up to September 2012. According to official statistics of Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, the number of tourist arrival amounted to over 800,000 in 2011, up more than 24,000 or 3 percent from over 790,000 in the same period of 2010. Myanmar earned 319 million U.S. dollars in 2011 from hotel and tourist sector, up 26 percent from 254 million U.S. dollars in 2010. Sourced: Xinhuanet