YANGON, 5 June 2019: Myanmar attracted 650,000 visitors during the first four months of 2019 according to the Minister of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, U Ohn Maung.
He was briefing local media focusing on the ministry’s achievements over the last three years. Totting up positive tourist arrivals for the first four months ranked high on his scorecard.
Myanmar Business Today quoted the minister saying tourist arrivals had increased by 30%, January to April 2019, by all modes of travel; land, sea, and air.
During the same four-month period in 2018, arrivals reached 500,000. By the close of 2018 arrivals tipped 3.55 million tourists up by a dismal 0.11%, when compared with 2017.
Minister U Ohn Maung told the media: “We are working on extending the visa-free and other entrance visa programmes.”
Shortly after his presentation, the country announced it has added six more countries to its visa-on-arrival list effective 1 September. The countries are Australia, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and Switzerland.
Comparing the performance with neighbouring Thailand, that welcomed 38 million tourists last year and could hit 41 million this year, the minister said he would draft an action plan to boost travel to the country “collaborating with regions, states and civic organisations.”
Last April Ministry of Hotels and Tourism launched its new web site, www.tourism.gov.mm in multiple language options.
(Source: Myanmar Business Today with additional reporting).
