As the Greek economic tragedy plays out (wait, will this have a happy ending?), and the US struggles with economic and foreign policies, all eyes are on Asia to deliver the promise of a better tomorrow for travel and tourism.

Can Asia deliver? Yeoh Siew Hoon reports an ITB Berlin of blue skies.

In Hall 26, the Asian section of ITB Berlin, traditional tour operators in Europe looking for a competitive edge in a very tough environment where online players are chipping away at their heels flocked to Myanmar, the flavour of the month.

The bad news – tourism infrastructure is rather limited and hoteliers, after languishing for years, finally see a chance to charge rates they feel they deserved.

The talk was of a 30-40% rise in rates for this winter season, and that's gotten tour operators hot and bothered. "They will price themselves out of the market," said a French tour operator I ran into.

The question is which market of course. Since Myanmar lifted its silken veils, businessmen have been flocking to Yangon and hotels are packed with corporate guests.

Leisure travellers will have to take second place for now and ground tour operators have already blocked and paid for room allotments for winter – just to be sure.

It's good to see such interest in Myanmar and the potential is immense. The country, about the same size as Thailand, only receives 300,000 arrivals compared with Thailand's 13 million.

But as PATA's new CEO Martin Craigs observed on a panel at ITB Berlin, it is hoped that development will be done sensitively and at a pace that doesn't impact adversely on the country's tourism assets.

Full story:

www.webintravel.com//blog/the-promise-of-asia-wrapped-up-in-silk-and-low-cost_3033