Myanmar wants to get $11bn from tourism

Sustainability and social responsibility feature heavily in masterplan which expects to get from $500m to $11bn in 8 years

Myanmar has unveiled its Master Plan, outlining its vision for the expansion of Myanmar’s tourism industry from a baseline of US$534 million in 2012 to $10.8 billion by 2020.

Addressing the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Nay Pyi Taw on June 5, Union Minister of Hotels and Tourism U Htay Aung announced the details of the Master Plan as the roadmap for sustainable tourism development in Myanmar.

While the report champions projections based on a ‘high-growth scenario’ (which set targets for 3.09 million arrivals in 2015 and 7.48 million by 2020) The Asia Development Bank indicates the more likely outcome will see numbers fall in the mid-range, meaning 2.2 million visitors by 2015 and five million in 2020. These figures, ADB suggests, will be contingent on the continued implementation and execution of reform policies.

Setting interim targets for 2015 and 2020, the report details key initiatives aimed at developing the sector, including the expansion of domestic and international transport infrastructure, installing regional and state institutions for overseeing tourism, ensuring sustainability and environmental concerns are represented in policy, as well as fostering a more established regulatory framework for investment.

The report places much emphasis on the importance of upgrading and maintaining transport infrastructure as a means of improving access for visitors, and outlines a major expansion of airport capacities – much of which hinges on the construction of the airport at Hanthawaddy, 80km from Yangon.

Hanthawaddy airport should be completed by 2015 and be equipped to able to handle an annual volume of 10 million visitors, the report states. The operating capacity of Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw airports is set to increase, and improvements are to be made to regional hubs. Nationwide, the target set for annual airport capacity is 20 million.

Road and rail upgrades are also on the agenda, in order to improve access to tourism hotspots.

The report cited the example of the Chaungtha – Yangon road which, if upgraded to an all-weather dual carriageway, would reduce driving time to around three hours and "catalyze considerable additional tourism growth and investment".

The Ministry has also stated it plans to modernise the rail network, as part of a move towards a lower-carbon economy – with the added benefit of a reduction in domestic freight costs.

 Improving infrastructure across Myanmar is no small task, with the report acknowledging the need to upgrade electricity networks, expand telecommunications, and ensure greater access to ATMs and credit card payment facilities. Tourism-related products and services are also in line for improvement, with the hospitality accreditation and training scheme being targeted for expansion.

The Ministry also announced a gradual easing of barriers to visitor entry, as well as its intention to expand visa on arrival services.

Sustainability and social responsibility feature heavily in the scheme, which identifies the creation and coordination of regional and state tourism bodies as being paramount to ensuring flow-on benefits are distributed equally and usefully. 

The development of specialised tourism industries – with a particular focus on ecotourism – is all part of building Myanmar’s brand and asserting its position as a destination in the global market.

Valere Tjolle

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