THE safety of tourists is an important consideration when it comes to promoting Myanmar as a major vacation destination for travellers from all over the world.

With this in mind, in September 2001 the Myanmar Police Force formed the Tourist Safety Unit – made up of specially selected officers who go through three months of intensive training – to provide assistance to foreigners travelling in Myanmar.

The training courses are offered about three times a year in an effort to continually expand the unit. Each course trains 40 selected police men and women stationed throughout Myanmar.

The police force’s director of planning and training, Police Colonel Win Khaung, said most of the officers chosen for the courses were young lieutenants and second lieutenants.

Trainees learn to lend the type of assistance that tourists may need, such as filling in documents at airports, finding lost belongings or getting help for health problems or accidents.

The training also teaches police officers about hotels, the country’s taxation structure, dealing in gems and jewellery, forestry and cultural heritage.

Assisting the training are officials from 11 departments under various ministries, including Hotel and Tourism, Immigration and Population, Forestry, and Foreign Affairs.

“It is necessary for members of Tourist Safety Unit to know and understand the procedures required in our country. Language training is also provided by teachers from the University of Foreign Languages to help improve communication,” Police Colonel Win Khaung said.

Members of the unit are assigned to popular tourist destinations, border checkpoints and airports in Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan-Nyaung U, Heho, Tachileik, Muse, Myawaddy and Kawthaung, he said.

“It is common for tourists to lose their belongings, but few of them, especially individual travellers, know where to seek help when they have difficulties,” he said.

Police Colonel Win Khaung said all police stations in the country have added English language signboards to increase awareness and encourage contact by tourists who need help.

The Yangon telephone numbers for the Tourist Safety Unit are 199, or 549209, 549276 and 549214.

The unit may be contacted through police stations in other cities.