Voyages to Asia tour company

Hi,

Sorry if this is regarded as spam; I thought it was worth noting for anyone considering travel to Myanmar/Burma.

I%26#39;ve emailed various tour companies who operate in Burma recently. I%26#39;ve said to each that I don%26#39;t agree with a policy of isolation and I think tourism can have a very positive effect but that I%26#39;d like to hear how they deal with government organisations there.

While I%26#39;ve received some very compelling arguments in reply I received only this from Voyages to Asia (http://www.voyagestoasia.com/):

';mind your own business';

Which I think demonstrates a remarkable lack of regard for both potential customers and implies callousness toward the victims of the regime there. I think this is noteworthy for any considering travel in the area.

Thanks

Voyages to Asia tour company

Deare Waxy Dan. your comments appear somewhat naive. Obviously there will always be two sides to a dispute. on the reports available to us, anyone would support the view of the protesters but unless there was a contrary view in Burma there wouldnt even be a problem. You have simply encountered someone (ie. ONE )with a contrary view to that of your own. (not everyone welcomes the implied values of an uninformed observer ) I must disagree that such a singular view is noteworthy when considering travel in Burma.

To form a valid opinion at least visit the country for a length of time. If you dont fancy it no one could blame you.

Voyages to Asia tour company

You made a few assumptions there. You don%26#39;t know where I%26#39;ve travelled or not. Neither do you know how informed I am. Also your use of the word %26#39;naive%26#39; appears to be entirely random and based, again, on assumption.

All that you do know is that I have explicitly stated that I do not agree that travellers should avoid Burma. That I contacted some companies who bring money into Burma to ask about their policies. That I received several very positive replies. Lastly that one replied back in an aggressive manner that, to my mind, implies some policies on their part that could easily be criticised.

I don%26#39;t use travel companies but I know people that do for perfectly good reasons; time, confidence, etc. I believe that most travellers who choose to use a tour operator in such a region would rather select one that operates ethically (for example; only employing local guides) which Voyages to Asia appears not to do.

I do realise that this is my view and others may disagree with it but doesn%26#39;t render it invalid.

garv.... Quote ';To form a valid opinion at least visit the country for a length of time. If you dont fancy it no one could blame you.';..

I noted that you are bailing out.. so what entitles you to lodge an opinion?.. you haven%26#39;t even been there and you obviously haven%26#39;t got a clue what the OP is writing about.

chill boys. just winding you up. dont take yourselves so seriously. mosegriesen ; do you ever do anything but write on travel websites ? get out more , do you good. hope to see you in Burma after xmas . i`ll be working there. ! again .

Only managed, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Singapore, Thailand (again) Vietnam, France, Switzeland, Check Republic, Germany, Greece, Denmark, Vietnam (again) this year.... you are right.. I really must get out more:-)....

Another example of Voyages to Asia%26#39;s views on the suffering of the people of Burma (see below).

Myself, I wouldn%26#39;t condem anoyone for visiting Burma independently and staying in privately-owned guesthouses, but anyone who travels with a big travel company like Voyages To Asia should note that the money they spend on government-sponsored hotels plays a part in propping up that goverment and that some of the ';tourist attractions'; they visit were built using forced labour.

More from Voyages to Asia:

Hello Liz,

We send about 500 travellers a year to Burma and will continue to do so, we do not care who you are and what you think.

Best regards,

info mailto:info@voyagestoasia.com

I too received a similar derogatory message from this company when making a polite enquiry on their ethical policies and how they ensure that their trips go some way support local communities.

It was - ';Get a Life';

I believe this companies unscrupulous attitude should be publicised. I am not sure if this company are affiliated to ABTA (they are UK based) but mention that they are a member of the American Society of Travel Agents.

Maybe Lonely Planet/ Rough Guide %26amp; newspaper travel supplements would be interested would be interested?