BANGKOK, 14 March 2012: Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism reported the country received 816,369 international tourists (including day return visitors) during 2011, up 3.14% from 2010. The country aims to reach the 1 million milestones this year
The country’s tourism statistics analysts moved the goal posts a mite by including day-return visits. Most countries adopt the UNWTO “tourist” definition that stipulates a minimum stay of 24 hours.
Myanmar claims it earned US$319, from each visit, up 25.6%, while average spending per day, per person, stood at US$120, up 17.6% from US$102 in 2010.Most of the visitors (52.1% or 425,193) entered the country through border checkpoints, while 44.68%, or 364,743 entered through Yangon International Airport.
The rest (3.2%, 26,433) came through Mandalay, Bagan and Naypyitaw checkpoints.Last year, the country recorded 7,497 flights from 16 regional routes supplying 1,157,955 seats. Load factor averaged 62.77%. When considering just tourists arriving by air, China took over as the top contributor from neighbouring Thailand. Arrivals leaped 34.41% from 46,141 in 2010 to 62,018 in 2011.
Arrivals from Thailand, fell to second place, with an increase of just 3.35% from 59,692 to 61,696. The floods in the central region in the last quarter of 2010, especially in Bangkok, were blamed for the drop in visits.In 2011, Myanmar had 731 accommodation establishments that supplied 25,002 rooms.
In key tourism destinations, Yangon had 187 establishments (7,934 rooms); Mandalay, 75 establishments (3,181 rooms) and Bagan, 75 establishments (2,008 rooms).
