Tourism in Burma

Tourism in Burma (Myanmar) is a slowly developing sector. Although Burma possesses great tourist potential and attractions in many fields, much of the industry remains to be developed. Also, the number of visitors to Burma is comparatively small compared to her neighbours - even outpaced by Laos. This is primarily due to its current political situation.

Tourism in Burma has been developed mainly by the government, but many private enterprises do exist, catering to a wide range of tourists.

Since 1992, the government has encouraged tourism in the country. In 2010, 791,505 foreign tourists visited Myanmar, with 295,174 foreign tourists entering the country via Yangon International Airport. The political climate has been attributed to a further increase in the number of tourists in 2011.

Tourism has been promoted by advocacy groups as a method of providing economic benefit to Burmese civilians, and to avoid isolating the country from the rest of the world. Voices for Burma, a pro-democracy advocate group, states, "We believe that small-scale, responsible tourism can create more benefits than harm. So long as tourists are fully aware of the situation and take steps to maximise their positive impact and minimise the negatives, we feel their visit can be beneficial overall. Responsible tourists can help Burma primarily by bringing money to local communities and small businesses, and by raising awareness of the situation worldwide."

Regardless, a majority of advocacy groups discourage tourism. The junta's forced labour programmes were focused around tourist destinations which have been heavily criticised for their human rights records. A former Burmese tourism minister estimated that 12% of the government revenues are derived from tourism, with the tourism industry contributing $182 million USD (2007) to the government's annual budget.

Statistics

In the 2010-2011 fiscal year, tourists comprised 73.84% (313,127 arrivals) of overseas visitors, primarily entering the country by air, representing 69.26% of arrivals, followed by land and sea, which represented 29.97% and 0.77% of arrivals respectively. An additional 110,914 visitors arrived through other visa types AND represented an additional 26.16% of the total.

General trends

Fiscal Year	Tourist arrivals	% change
2010-2011	313127	4.88%
2009-2010	298556	16.95%
2008-2009	255288	-11.60%
2007-2008	288776	-22.16%
2006-2007	370974	-

Tourists by nationality

The governmental statistics body, the Central Statistical Organization, reported 216,861 tourist arrivals (excluding visitors under special entry visas such as social or business visas) via Yangon International Airport in the fiscal year 2010-2011.

Rank	Country	Amount			% Total
		Male	Female	Total
1	Thailand	19637	29874	49511	22.83%
2	Other countries1	14425	13313	27738	12.79%
3	China	18986	3885	22871	10.55%
4	France	6783	6701	13484	6.22%
5	South Korea	8189	5272	13461	6.21%
6	Malaysia	7865	5423	13288	6.13%
7	Germany	5315	4647	9962	4.59%
8	Japan	6373	2874	9247	4.26%
9	United States	5024	3717	8741	4.03%
10	Italy	3732	3933	7665	3.53%
11	Taiwan	4740	2612	7352	3.39%
12	Singapore	3361	2309	5670	2.61%
13	United Kingdom	3156	2047	5203	2.40%
14	Switzerland	2155	2183	4338	2.00%
15	Australia	2383	1846	4229	1.95%
16	India	2097	688	2785	1.28%
17	Belgium	1228	1205	2433	1.12%
18	Russia	1137	1221	2358	1.09%
19	Netherlands	1222	1017	2239	1.03%
20	Canada	1073	785	1858	0.86%
21	Israel	548	502	1050	0.48%
22	Bangladesh	821	128	949	0.44%
23	Pakistan	318	111	429	0.20%

¹ Including Austria, Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain and Sweden.

Tourist attractions

• Yangon
• Bago

Mandalay

• Mandalay
• Bagan
• Ava
• Amarapura
• Pyin U Lwin
• Mount Popa

Mon State

• Kyaiktiyo Pagoda
• World's Largest Reclining Buddha at Mudon
• Mawlamyaing

Rakhine State

• Mrauk U
• Ngapali Beach

Shan State

• Inle Lake
• Taunggyi

Other beaches

• Chaungtha
• Ngwesaung

Ecotourism

• Myeik Archipelago
• Hukawng Valley
• Hkakabo Razi
• Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park
• Popa Mountain National Park

Politics

Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi has, in the past, asked for tourism to be boycotted. However, she has not asserted this view recently. This might be due to public opinion being in favour of tourism. The majority of democracy advocates demand a complete boycott of tourism to Burma. Other pro-democracy activists, such as Ma Thanegi, advocate small scale tourism, and careful spending.

In May 2011, however, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party National League for Democracy expressed the opinion that responsible tourism to Burma should be encouraged. Tourists are welcome to Burma provided they are "keen to promote the welfare of the common people and the conservation of the environment and to acquire an insight into the cultural, political and social life of the country while enjoying a happy and fulfilling holiday in Burma." In their official statement they request not only the development of the people's livelihood but also the promotion of "self respect and self reliance in the people."

Certain tour books, such as Lonely Planet, cover Burma, stating that it provides balanced information and spending methods to get the money into the hands of the people, while some, such as Rough Guides, refuse to publish on Burma. Most Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the Western world recommend travel agencies and citizens not to engage in tourism activities in Burma.

External links

• Bagan Travel Information
• Tourism Myanmar
• Myanmar Travel Information
• Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board
• Ecotourism Destinations in Myanmar
• List of Travel and Tour Companies in Myanmar from Official Myanmar Industrial and Commercial Business Directory
• Cycling Burma (Myanmar)
• EcoBurma: a non-profit project promoting responsible tourism to Burma