Although Myanmar’s borders remain more or less sealed, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has announced plans to restart its domestic tourism industry and open four new tourist destinations this month. U Khin Than Win, deputy director general of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, said promoting domestic travel is necessary for the ailing sector. However he added that people will be required to take necessary precautions and “cannot go in crowds,” Mizzima News quoted him as saying.

This will be the second attempt to rely on domestic tourism to keep the industry alive. An earlier plan to gradually re-open and promote domestic destinations and attractions (and possibly launch tourist exchange programs with certain Asian nations) came to a crashing halt with this summer’s second wave of infections. Other strategies include promoting safer tourism methods, such as flight tours and river cruises, the Ministry said. Furthermore, this week the Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneurs Association told the Myanmar Times that it plans to promote more agri-tourism, which leverages farms and forests as attractions.

These new measures would require lifting at least some pandemic containment restrictions. However, tourism — which had been one of Myanmar’s fastest-growing industries — has arguably suffered more than any other sector under COVID-19. Myanmar’s total cases exceeded 100,000 this week.