New Flights And Hotels In Myanmar, As Govt Eyes 2 Million Foreign Arrivals In 2013
Myanmar's vice president Sai Mauk Kham made the announcement at a ceremony marking World Tourism Day on 27 September in the new capital Nay Pyi Taw. He said there had been a sharp rise in the number of tourists visiting the country in the first eight months of 2013, the total already beyond 1 million and representing a 58 per cent increase on the same period last year.
As Myanmar continues to further open up to the world, international visitor arrivals surpassed 1 million in 2012 for the first time. The government's Tourism Master Plan envisages a possible 7.4 million visitors by 2020.
The growth in arrivals has been attributed in no small part to a relaxation of visa restrictions, with Myanmar now offering visa-on-arrival to citizens of 48 countries. As well as in Yangon, business visa, entry visa and transit visa can be obtained at Mandalay International Airport.
The Foreign Ministry recently announced Vietnamese passport holders would no longer require a visa to visit Myanmar as of 26 October 2013. Their passport must be valid for at least six months and their stay in Myanmar must not exceed 14 days. It follows the signing of a visa exemption agreement between Myanmar and Vietnam's foreign ministers in New York in early October.
New hotels in Myanmar are being added to the country's accommodation supply. The country's main international entry point, the choice of hotels in Yangon comprises mid-level, boutique and luxury properties - among these some of the finest historic hotels in Southeast Asia. Other luxury hotels in Myanmar are to be found in popular destinations like Mandalay and Bagan, too.
A number of airlines are adding new flights to key points in Myanmar. Bangkok Airways launched a new service between Bangkok and the capital Nay Pyi Taw on 30 September. The new three-times weekly route joined the Thai carrier's existing Bangkok-Yangon service and Mandalay service.
Thai AirAsia was planning to introduce a direct Bangkok-Nay Pyi Taw service in October, in time for the 27th SEA Games Myanmar is hosting in December. The carrier currently offers three daily flights between Bangkok and Yangon and one daily flight between Bangkok and Mandalay. It also connects Yangon and Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur with a daily flight.
On 11 October Nok Air, another Thai carrier, launched a Bangkok-Yangon service – its first international flight. The company said it was looking at the possibility of flying to other points in Myanmar as well, including Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay and Bagan.
Myanmar Airways International, meanwhile, said it would increase flights on the Yangon-Phnom Penh route from two to three times weekly between this 27 October and 29 March 2014. The country's international flag carrier also plans to be operating scheduled flights to Japan by this December, replacing monthly charters its been flying since April mainly geared to Japanese investors and tourists wanting to visit Myanmar as the country opens up.
And Myanmar and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to resume direct Dhaka-Yangon flights after they were shut down six years ago. Bangladesh's civil aviation authorities said Yangon had now become commercially more viable for Bangladesh carriers, and was a good transit point on the way to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
It's expected the Dhaka-Yangon flights could resume by November. The two countries have been working to re-establish the direct air link after Biman Bangladesh Airlines stopped its Dhaka-Yangon service in 2007 due to economic losses.
Infrastructure-wise, Myanmar is to build a new US$1.1 billion international airport 80 km north of Yangon in central Bago region, scheduled to open by the beginning of 2018. According to the Department of Civil Aviation, the new Hanthawaddy International Airport will be the country's primary gateway with all international airlines shifting there, leaving Yangon International Airport to handle domestic flights and general aviation services.
The new aviation gateway will have a capacity of 12 million passengers per year. Yangon International Airport is currently handling 2.7 million passengers, an annual capacity which is set to become 6 million after a US$150-170 million upgrade. Mandalay International Airport meanwhile is to have US$100 million spent on transforming it into a logistics hub, the aim being to facilitate direct transportation of goods to and from other countries in Asia and Europe.
As Myanmar continues to further open up to the world, international visitor arrivals surpassed 1 million in 2012 for the first time. The government's Tourism Master Plan envisages a possible 7.4 million visitors by 2020.
The growth in arrivals has been attributed in no small part to a relaxation of visa restrictions, with Myanmar now offering visa-on-arrival to citizens of 48 countries. As well as in Yangon, business visa, entry visa and transit visa can be obtained at Mandalay International Airport.
The Foreign Ministry recently announced Vietnamese passport holders would no longer require a visa to visit Myanmar as of 26 October 2013. Their passport must be valid for at least six months and their stay in Myanmar must not exceed 14 days. It follows the signing of a visa exemption agreement between Myanmar and Vietnam's foreign ministers in New York in early October.
New hotels in Myanmar are being added to the country's accommodation supply. The country's main international entry point, the choice of hotels in Yangon comprises mid-level, boutique and luxury properties - among these some of the finest historic hotels in Southeast Asia. Other luxury hotels in Myanmar are to be found in popular destinations like Mandalay and Bagan, too.
A number of airlines are adding new flights to key points in Myanmar. Bangkok Airways launched a new service between Bangkok and the capital Nay Pyi Taw on 30 September. The new three-times weekly route joined the Thai carrier's existing Bangkok-Yangon service and Mandalay service.
Thai AirAsia was planning to introduce a direct Bangkok-Nay Pyi Taw service in October, in time for the 27th SEA Games Myanmar is hosting in December. The carrier currently offers three daily flights between Bangkok and Yangon and one daily flight between Bangkok and Mandalay. It also connects Yangon and Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur with a daily flight.
On 11 October Nok Air, another Thai carrier, launched a Bangkok-Yangon service – its first international flight. The company said it was looking at the possibility of flying to other points in Myanmar as well, including Nay Pyi Taw, Mandalay and Bagan.
Myanmar Airways International, meanwhile, said it would increase flights on the Yangon-Phnom Penh route from two to three times weekly between this 27 October and 29 March 2014. The country's international flag carrier also plans to be operating scheduled flights to Japan by this December, replacing monthly charters its been flying since April mainly geared to Japanese investors and tourists wanting to visit Myanmar as the country opens up.
And Myanmar and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to resume direct Dhaka-Yangon flights after they were shut down six years ago. Bangladesh's civil aviation authorities said Yangon had now become commercially more viable for Bangladesh carriers, and was a good transit point on the way to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
It's expected the Dhaka-Yangon flights could resume by November. The two countries have been working to re-establish the direct air link after Biman Bangladesh Airlines stopped its Dhaka-Yangon service in 2007 due to economic losses.
Infrastructure-wise, Myanmar is to build a new US$1.1 billion international airport 80 km north of Yangon in central Bago region, scheduled to open by the beginning of 2018. According to the Department of Civil Aviation, the new Hanthawaddy International Airport will be the country's primary gateway with all international airlines shifting there, leaving Yangon International Airport to handle domestic flights and general aviation services.
The new aviation gateway will have a capacity of 12 million passengers per year. Yangon International Airport is currently handling 2.7 million passengers, an annual capacity which is set to become 6 million after a US$150-170 million upgrade. Mandalay International Airport meanwhile is to have US$100 million spent on transforming it into a logistics hub, the aim being to facilitate direct transportation of goods to and from other countries in Asia and Europe.
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