Tourists visiting Myanmar are up by 30 percent this year according to the Minister of Hotels and Tourism.
Visitors are expected to reach 1.8
million by the end of 2013 with more arriving for longer stays, Minister
Htay Aung told the Upper House session on Thursday.
“Tourism in Myanmar has showed a
positive sign since 2001. Last year, 1.06 million tourists came to
Myanmar. If we compare the figures to last year, you can see 30 per cent
increase. Tourist arrivals are up in May due to longer oversea trips in
addition to expanding oversea flight schedules and increasing numbers
of chartered flight arrival. The arrival from neighbouring countries is
up significantly,” the union minister said.
The changing rules and regulations of the visa system are encouraging more arrivals. The Minister expressed his hopes that such favourable conditions would see about a million more tourists visiting Myanmar in a couple of years.
“We need to develop infrastructure,
supporting and providing services in line with the tourist increase. We
have about 30,000 hotel rooms ready for the tourists. About 10,000 more
rooms will be ready in the end of this year. The increasing number of
rooms is not only in Yangon but also in other towns too,” the minister
said.
The ministry is launching websites,
showing the places to travel, keeping news and information counters in
Yangon, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw and other well-known regions, allowing
foreign and local investments to provide sufficient accommodation,
according to the sources.
In 2012, tourist arrival to Myanmar
exceeded one million for the first time. Tourist arrival between January
and at the end of April 2013 were up 26 per cent (0.45 million)
compared with the same period last year.
Yangon International Airport has
received 0.25 million tourists in the same period mentioned which is a
44 percent increase compared with the same period.
source: Eleven Myanmar
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