YANGON, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar will hold an annual flower festival in mid-December to revive the country's pandemic-battered tourism sector, the state-run media reported quoting organizers on Thursday.
The annual festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and this year's event is its 15th edition.
The festival, scheduled from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15 next year in Pyin Oo Lwin of central Myanmar's Mandalay Region, will showcase a variety of flowers, the report said.
The festival will include many activities such as a festival market selling locally-made products, sweater fabrics, handicrafts and souvenirs, orchid competitions, flower decoration contests, photo contests and entertainment programs.
The previous events featured species of flowery plants from abroad, and were participated by floral experts from abroad.
The Southeast Asian country resumed the operations of international commercial flights in April, and the number of tourists visiting the country has since increased gradually, official data showed.
However, the country's tourism sector as a whole has stagnated over the past two years due to the pandemic. ■