Western tourists visit one of the famous Shwedagon Pagodas in Myanmar's capital city Yangon. - Photo: AFP file
YANGON: (Bernama) Myanmar military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing called on all parties to reduce violence and restore peace to woo more tourists to the market, which only received half a million visitors in the first five months of this year.
The South-East Asian nation - surrounded by idyllic beaches, snow-capped mountains, archipelagos and fertile plains - attracted one million tourists last year.
Speaking at the World Tourism Day 2024 at the Myanmar International Convention Centre II in Naypyidaw, the military’s top leader told tourist operators to promote safe tourism with the theme "Tourism and Peace” as safety is of paramount importance, reported the state-owned media The Global New Light of Myanmar.
"All tourism entrepreneurs are urged to cooperate with the government in initiating a peace process to ensure the long-term development of Myanmar’s tourism industry.
"Ministries and tourism organisations have to enhance tourism services and disseminate true information about safe and sound travel to destinations in Myanmar to travellers in a short time," said Min Aung Hlaing, who is also the Chairman of the State Administration Council, reported the state-owned media.
Myanmar fell into political chaos after the coup in February 2021 when the military overthrew the democratically elected government and many countries, business communities and tourists shied away from the country.
The World Bank’s Myanmar Economic Monitor June 2024 revealed that the ongoing conflicts have impacted the tourism sector, which is a key revenue generator for the nation.
"After a relatively strong recovery in international arrivals in 2023, tourism has seen a downturn since the beginning of 2024 due largely to the escalation of conflict.
"International arrivals have declined by 11 per cent since December, to be less than a quarter of pre-pandemic levels in March 2024.
"The slump in international visitors has shifted the focus to domestic tourism in non-conflict areas, which has seen modest growth, with Myanmar people accounting for the large majority of hotel guests in Yangon and Mandalay,” said World Bank.
The country is currently facing the wrath of Typhoon Yagi that destroyed homes, and paddy fields and over 200 people perished in the natural disaster in recent weeks. - Bernama
