Myin-khwa Island, Myeik Archipelago

MYANMAR has long been known as a destination where travellers can explore and experience the mystical charms of Asia in all their diversity.

The well-known 19th century English writer, Rudyard Kipling, once wrote, “This is Burma [former name for Myanmar], and it will be quite unlike any land you know.”

Myanmar is unlike any other land in the sense that it is a country where a traveller can, in a single stop, see and experience rich archaeological sites, glittering pagodas, a wealth of diverse cultures, and colourful festivals and creative arts.

The tourism industry has been growing steadily since 1988, when the government lifted restrictive limits on the length of stay for international travelers.

Officials and private tours operators have predicted that Myanmar is heading for another excellent tourist season, after achieving a record 22 per cent rise in the number of tourist arrivals during the 2003-2004 season over the previous year.

The 2003-2004 high season – from September to April – was a “milestone” for the tourism industry in Myanmar, said a statement from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, made available to Myanmar Times on September 20.

The statement said early projections for the coming high season were bright as about 260,000 tourists visited Myanmar during the summer and rainy seasons – between April and September – which represents a 40 per cent increase over the number who came during the same period last year.

However, there are limits to the number of tourists who can be accommodated in Myanmar.

“There were even shortages of hotels and flights during the last high season,” the statement said.

Last season was also significant in terms of the earnings generated from the industry, with the total income reaching US$150 million, the statement said.

It said last season’s growth came after an increase in the volume of air traffic to Myanmar, the introduction of an internet visa application system, and the relaxation of the visa application procedure for tourists travelling on package tours. The statement said last season’s numbers were also boosted by better organisation among Myanmar tour operators.

“It has given Myanmar a better image,” it said.

It said Myanmar would not rush to ease travel requirements anytime soon, in order to protect the country from the negative impacts from tourism, including possible detrimental effects on Myanmar’s traditional culture.

The statement said although it may seem logical to allow tourists to apply for a visa upon arrival at Myanmar’s international airports in Yangon and Mandalay, the government would only embrace such a system ‘gradually’.

“However, as we are competing with other countries in the international business arena, the granting of visas-on-arrival will one day be a reality,” the statement said.

It said in 2003 the government introduced a system to issue visas-on-arrival at Yangon international airport for package tour travellers.

The statement said that 11 per cent of the 600,000 tourists who visited Myanmar last season were travelling on package tours.

It also said the number of visitors from neighbouring Thailand has been increasing during the past few years, topping the list of travellers to Myanmar last season, the statement said without mentioning specific numbers.

“Last year the number of Thai visitors to the country surpassed those from Taiwan and Japan,” the statement said.

The ministry statement said Myanmar businesses should work to create an environment convenient for Thai tourists.

“This issue should be considered before Thai business operators begin to establish Thai-style restaurants, and hotels [in Myanmar] for Thai tourists,” the statement said.

An advisor to the Hotels and Tourism minister, U Khin Maung Latt, echoed the statement’s assessment by saying tourism prospects were bright for the upcoming high season.

He said the ministry expects about 1 million tourists to visit Myanmar during the coming season, including about 700,000 travellers from China and Thailand, through the border checkpoints between Myanmar and the two countries.

U Khin Maung Latt said the government will continue to place emphasis on the development of the tourism industry, from which more than 80 per cent of the income goes to the private sector.

“Tourism directly benefits the private sector,” he said.

In an interview with Myanmar Times last month, a member of the private-sector Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board, Dr Aung Myat Kyaw, welcomed the government’s moves to develop the industry.

He said the government’s measures have included allowing more international airlines to fly into Myanmar.

“More airlines mean more tourists,” he said.

Dr Aung Myat Kyaw, who also operates Orchestra Travel Agency, added that a total of 14 international airlines fly into Myanmar’s two international airports.

He also said Qatar Airways is expected to start scheduled flights to Yangon from Qatar’s capital, Doha, in January, while the same month will see the addition of flights from Rome to Yangon via the Italian airline, Blue Panorama.

He said the two airlines will help to increase the number of tourists visiting from the Middle East and the Europe.

Further relaxation of the visa application procedures would also greatly increase tourism to Myanmar, Dr Aung Myat Kyaw said.

“If we can just say to the world that we are issuing visas-on-arrival, it will completely change things,” he said.

However, he cautioned that the country’s current tourism infrastructure would not be able to accommodate a large influx of additional tourists.

Dr Aung Myat Kyaw said tour operators faced difficulties arranging hotels for tourists during the high season.

“This is because people only visit in the winter,” he said, adding that efforts should be made to increase awareness that some parts of Myanmar can be visited during the summer and monsoon seasons.

He said better facilities for tourists – including air-conditioned buses and hotel rooms – have made it possible to provide better services for people travelling during the hot season.

He said favorable regional conditions can also contribute to the growth of the tourism industry in Myanmar.

“Luckily, we have not heard exaggerated news on SARS [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] or bird flu, as we did last year. That is one of the reasons why I am optimistic about this year,” Dr Aung Myat Kyaw said.

He said more airline seats and hotels will become available if the number of tourist arrivals increases, and that Myanmar should prepare itself for the future by using advertising to promote the country as a travel destination, a strategy that it has so far failed to use effectively.

“We have to create a product and make people aware of it,” Dr Aung Myat Kyaw said.

“This is because [the Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board] does not have a huge advertising budget like tourism promotion boards in other countries do,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Union of Myanmar Travel Association – a private association of tour operators – said the group was planning raise about K5 million from its members this year to use for an advertising campaign to promote Myanmar.

The spokesperson also said its campaign and other promotion activities could help increase the number of tourists by about 15 per cent this year.

The spokesperson said the association is also planning to expand cooperation with its regional counterparts to seek help in training Myanmar tour operators, but the details of the plan have yet to be worked out.