Most visitors to Burma are from Asia and the biggest nationality groups are Thai and Chinese, said an Asean travel and tourism report.

It said 16 percent of tourists visiting Burma came from Thailand and 12 percent from China.

Despite the growing numbers, tourism contributed only 0.2 percent of Burma’s gross domestic product in 2011, said the study, compared with an average 4.6 percent for the 10 member countries of Asean, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Pagoda Yangoon
The recent reforms by the Myanmar government means entrance of foreign investment is becoming easier

This could change if the government succeeds in attracting 3 million tourists per year by 2015, compared with about 1 million in 2012.

However, Burma’s tourism infrastructure is so far failing to keep up with visitor numbers, according to the Bangkok-based travel trade magazine TTR Weekly.

“Delays in granting hotels operating permits causes operational headaches and add to administration costs for hoteliers opening properties in [Burma],” said TTR.

“Hoteliers say there are properties that can welcome tourists, but are still waiting for approval and essential documents from government departments to allow them to open.”

About the author

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You May Also Like

The Ancient Town of Si Thep inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site

Key Takeways – The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has added “The Ancient…

Thailand plans to Boost Tourism Revenue by Easing Visa Rules

The current visa application process for Chinese tourists is costly and cumbersome, while Indian travelers have to pay for a visa on arrival. The government aims to increase revenue from foreign tourists to 3.3 trillion baht next year.

How Thailand Benefits from China’s Post-Pandemic Boom

Besides tourism, Thailand also benefits from China’s post-pandemic boom in terms of trade and investment. China is Thailand’s largest trading partner and a major source of foreign direct investment (FDI).