YANGON, Myanmar – The number of tourists arriving through Yangon International Airport rose more than 50 percent last year compared to 2011, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said.
Nearly 555,000 travelers arrived through the country’s main gateway last year, compared with about 359,000 in 2011, it said.
Visitors were evenly divided between tour groups and those who made their own travel plans, the ministry said, adding that most were from Thailand, China, Japan, France and Germany.
More than one million tourists visited Myanmar last year, compared to 810,000 in 2011.
The number of business travelers also surged last year, from about 70,000 in 2011 to 114,000.
With tourist arrivals surging new hotel zones are being built on the outskirts of Yangon, at Mount Popa in central Myanmar and at Inle Lake in the north. Myanmar has 782 registered hotels and guesthouses with more than 28,000 rooms. Tourists, however, frequently complain that room prices are too high and facilities and services far below regional standards.
