Tour guides operating without a license won’t be tolerated any longer and may face prosecution, according to a senior official with Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism who also encouraged people to take photos of violators.
“There are some foreigners working as tour guides for the last two years. We seriously do not allow this,” Myo Win Nyunt, the general manager of the ministry, told the Voice Weekly.
“If a Myanmar citizen is doing it without any license, complain to us with a photo. We will take action according to rules and regulations if there are enough facts. We haven’t taken any actions until now as there was only some information,” he said.
Without citing a specific law, Myo Win Nyunt said offenders could face three years in prison and fines of about $40.
The threat appears aimed at local guides who also work for foreigners as a sort of cover.
“No foreigners can be guides. They have hired a Myanmar guide for show, if ministry happens to check. It is difficult for us to complain about them with photos. We don’t have the time.”
Photo of tourists taking photos in Bagan / Wikicommons
