Covid-19 Impact: Times Are Hard In An Area Dependent On Tourism

The Central Myanmar City, Bagan, is strewn with more than 3,500 ancient monuments including stupas, temples, murals and sculptures .

Bagan welcomed nearly half a million visitors in 2019, while this year the figure was 130,000 up until the country's New Year festival in April.

But due to the global pandemic COVID-19 disease,  much of the area in Bagan has been closed to tourists since. Times are hard in an area dependent on tourism, local residents said.

Bagan Resident,  Aung Htoo said “Our entire village works in the traditional lacquerware industry. It depends on tourism but that’s stopped because of COVID-19 and now everyone is in trouble.”

The lack of visitors means temples and hotels lie empty, crushing the livelihoods of locals, and opening doors to opportunistic burglars.

In a spate of break-ins across the holy site in early June, robbers looted 12 different temples, swiping a range of relics, including copper stupas, ancient coins and jade jewellery.

Some of the relics date back to the 11th-13th century, an era when Bagan was the capital of a regional empire.

The 35th Battalion regional police squad have been deployed to bolster local tourism police and firefighters, the teams ranging across the site by jeep, motorbike and foot.

Deputy Director, Archaeological department Bagan, Myint Than said “Police officers from 35-Battalion, local authorities, tourist police, tour guides and firefighters are patrolling the whole of Bagan day and night providing security and to report anything suspicious.”

Bagan was added to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List in July last year.