Tourism in Burma
Encyclopedia
Tourism in Burma 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.
1 Including Austria, Brunei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain and Sweden.
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.
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
. 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
Yangon International Airport
Yangon International Airport , located in Mingaladon, at north of downtown Yangon, is the primary international airport of Myanmar and the second largest airport in the country....
. 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 |  Mainland China |
18986 | 3885 | 22871 | 10.55% |
| 4 |  Early Modern 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 |  Republic of China |
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.
Mandalay
- MandalayMandalayMandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
- BaganBaganBagan , formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay Region of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana and also known as Tambadipa or Tassadessa , it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma...
- AvaAvaInnwa is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma , situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River. Its formal title is Ratanapura , which means City of Gems in Pali. The name Innwa means mouth of the lake, which comes from in , meaning lake, and wa , which means mouth...
- AmarapuraAmarapuraAmarapura is a former capital of Myanmar, and now a township of Mandalay. Amarapura is bounded by the Ayeyarwady river in the west, Chanmyathazi township in the north, and the city of Innwa in the south...
- Pyin U LwinPyin U LwinPyin U Lwin or Pyin Oo Lwin , formerly Maymyo , is a scenic hill town in Mandalay Division, Myanmar, located in the Shan Highland, some east of Mandalay, and at an altitude of 1070 meters .-History:...
- Mount PopaMount PopaMount Popa is a volcano 1518 metres above sea level, and located in central Burma about southeast of Bagan in the Pegu Range. It can be seen from the River Ayeyarwady as far away as in clear weather. Mount Popa is perhaps best known for the nearby stunningly picturesque Popa Taungkalat...
Mon State
- Kyaiktiyo PagodaKyaiktiyo PagodaKyaiktiyo Pagoda , also known as Golden Rock) is a well-known Buddhist pilgrimage site in Mon State, Myanmar. It is a small pagoda built on the top of a granite boulder covered with gold leaves pasted on by devotees. According to legend, the Golden Rock itself is precariously perched on a strand...
- World's Largest Reclining Buddha at Mudon
- Mawlamyaing
Ecotourism
- Myeik Archipelago
- Hukawng ValleyHukawng ValleyThe Hukawng Valley is an isolated valley in Burma, roughly in area. It is located in Tanaing Township in the Myitkyina District of Kachin State in the northernmost part of the country.-Rivers:...
- Hkakabo RaziHkakabo RaziHkakabo Razi is Southeast Asia's highest mountain, located in the northern Myanmar state of Kachin. It lies in an outlying subrange of the Greater Himalayan mountain system. The mountain lies on the border tri-point among Myanmar, China, and India....
- Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park
- Popa Mountain National ParkPopa Mountain National ParkPopa Mountain National Park is a national park of Burma. It is located in Kyaukpadaung Township in Mandalay Division. It occupies an area of and was established in 1989. It surrounds Mount Popa.-References:*...
Politics
Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu KyiAung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
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
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
and her party National League for Democracy
National League for Democracy
The National League for Democracy is a Burmese political party founded on 27 September 1988. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi serves as its General Secretary. The party won a substantial parliamentary majority in the 1990 Burmese general election. However, the ruling military junta...
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
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
, 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
Rough Guides
Rough Guides Ltd is a travel guidebook and reference publisher, owned by Pearson PLC. Their travel titles cover more than 200 destinations, and are distributed worldwide through the Penguin Group...
, 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
- Budget Tours to Burma
- Cycling Burma (Myanmar)
- EcoBurma: a non-profit project promoting responsible tourism to Burma