With Myanmar gradual wake up to democracy, the country is on the verge to enjoy a boom in tourist arrivals. Airlines are among the first to capitalize on business and leisure travellers’ renewed interest for the destination. Currently, Myanmar welcomes some 850,000 travellers a year of which half of them come by…
With Myanmar gradual wake up to democracy, the country is on the verge to enjoy a boom in tourist arrivals. Airlines are among the first to capitalize on business and leisure travellers’ renewed interest for the destination.
Currently, Myanmar welcomes some 850,000 travellers a year of which half of them come by plane. Earlier this year, Myanmar Minister of Hotels and Tourism expressed its confidence that the progressive liberalization of Myanmar’s political conditions would translate into easier entry conditions for tourists. Myanmar is currently working on a e-visa solution with people applying online to get their visa on arrival. “We face some delays to put it in practice but it is only a matter of weeks,” expressed Htay Aung, Deputy Minister for Myanmar Ministry of Hotels and Tourism during ITB in Berlin.
Last November in Bagan at the first international symposium organised with the support of various institutions including the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, Htay Aung predicted that Myanmar is likely to hit one million arrivals including some 400,000 to 500,000 air arrivals in the short time. In 2011, some 850,000 tourists entered the country -including 420,000 air arrivals- growing by 27% performance over 2010. Airlines are closely watching developments in Myanmar and are in the starting blocks to increase capacities to Yangon and fly direct to other destinations such as Mandalay, Bagan or even Nay Pyi Daw, Myanmar new administrative capital in the centre of the country.
Myanmar has been served for a number of years by many international carriers such as Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways, Silk Air or local international carrier Myanmar Airways International. Since the mid-2000s, Myanmar also allowed budget airlines such as AirAsia Bhd, Thai AirAsia or Jetstar to fly to Yangon. Those carriers are now the most likely to benefit from the country’s opening. First steps to Myanmar opening up its skies could be observed last year when Myanmar Airways International opened its first link to Cambodia, between Yangon and Phnom Penh. Vietnam Airlines announced also in March to plan to inaugurate flights to Mandalay from this year.
According to Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld, his airline already asked to fly Nay Pyi Daw. “We enjoyed load factors of over 80% as well as strong yields on our Bangkok-Yangon route. We anticipate a high demand for a route to Myanmar’s capital,” he declared during a press conference last February in Bangkok. Bangkok Airways has been asking for a long time to serve Bagan or Mandalay, a demand which could soon turn into reality as Burmese authorities become increasingly more pragmatic. The carrier is indeed well position as it could serve Bagan by ATR, the only type of aircraft able to land on the airport’s small runway.
The most exciting information for European travellers came from Akhbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways CEO during the last ITB travel show. QR CEO announced to reopen from October the route between Doha and Yangon, a route closed seven years ago due to the lack of traffic. “We pulled out as sanctions took their toll on international tourist arrivals. However, we are extremely confident to now fly with success to Myanmar, a country with huge development potential. We will then be able to contribute to bring prosperity to Myanmar people,” he indicated in Berlin. Qatar return is however on a relatively small scale. The airline will only offer three weekly frequencies with a small aircraft type, the Airbus A319.
Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.
