Vital tourism statistics and information on 17 Asian ... - TTG Asia

30 ASIAN TOURISM GUIDE 2012/2013MyanmarGeneral overviewOfficial Name Republic of the Unionof MyanmarCapital Nay Pyi TawPopulation 60 millionTotal Area 676,577km 2Currency KyatOfficial Language MyanmarCHINAINDIA MYANMAR•Nay Pyi Ta• BangkokMALAYSIAINDIABagan •Ngapali •CHINA•<strong>and</strong>alay•nle akeNay Pyi Taw•angonTHAILANDTypes of tourist for the year 2011Package tour groups26 per centForeign independent travellers 38 per centBusiness travellers21 per centOthers15 per centHotel <strong>statistics</strong>Ministry figures for 2011 show that Myanmar has 731 licensedhotels <strong>and</strong> more than 25,002 rooms.Earlier this year, the ministry announced plans to increasethe number of hotel zones in Myanmar, with 11already created in key tourist regions <strong>and</strong> more likely tocome. In May, the President’s Office gave the green lightto develop a new hotel zone at Inle Lake, <strong>and</strong> the new250.9-hectare zone will be allocated to 16 hotels that havebeen waiting for planning approval, according to an officialfrom the Ministry of Environmental Conservation<strong>and</strong> Forestry.Meanwhile in central Yangon, historic state-ownedbuildings have been put up for tender to ease the city’sshortage of hotel rooms. Local <strong>and</strong> foreign companiesalike have been invited to bid on the properties for conversioninto hotels on long term leases. Singapore currentlytops foreign investment in Myanmar’s hotel sector,followed by Thail<strong>and</strong>, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia <strong>and</strong>Britain.Global hotel chains, including US-based StarwoodHotels & Resorts <strong>and</strong> Marriott International have alsoexpressed interest in running hotels in Myanmar.Political developments over the past year have opened the window onMyanmar as a new market for <strong>tourism</strong>. With sanctions <strong>and</strong> travel boycottslifted in recognition of reforms made, Myanmar is fast becominga hot destination not only for travel, but also for investments.Arrivals are expected to rise by approximately 30 per cent or morethis year, following a similar increase in 2011, say industry sources.Statistics show that seven out of Myanmar’s 10 source markets comefrom Asia, with Thail<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Japan in the lead with 48,014 <strong>and</strong> 23,242arrivals respectively in the first seven months of 2012. While Asiancountries will continue to supply the majority of visitors, strong growthis likely in previously nascent Western markets because of Myanmar’simproving international image.ClimateAveragetemperatureAverage rainfallAverage humidity20°C to 24°C (October toMarch)5,000mm (coastal region)Below 1,000mm (central region)66 to 82.6 per centBest time to visitMyanmar can be visited all year round. Myanmar enjoysa tropical climate, which is roughly divided into three seasons.The winter season, from October to February, withaverage temperatures between 20°C <strong>and</strong> 24°C, is the besttime to visit.The summer season starts from March through Maywith average temperatures between 30°C <strong>and</strong> 35°C, whilethe monsoon runs from June through September withaverage temperatures between 25°C <strong>and</strong> 30°C.Yangon normally receives early morning <strong>and</strong> afternoonshowers while rainfall in Bagan <strong>and</strong> M<strong>and</strong>alay isvery low. The weather around Inle <strong>and</strong> Shan State is quitepleasant all year round, but nights are cold from Decemberto February.Visitor arrivals <strong>statistics</strong>Myanmar received almost 300,000 foreign visitors fromJanuary to July this year, up 37.5 per cent year-on-year,based on figures from the Ministry of Hotels <strong>and</strong> Tourism.More than 60 per cent of visitors were from Asia, including48,014 from Thail<strong>and</strong> – the single largest groupby nationality – followed by Japan with 23,242, Chinawith 22,283 <strong>and</strong> South Korea with 17,799.Europe accounted for 65,300 visitors, representing 23.3per cent of total arrivals. France led the way with 15,094arrivals, the UK with 11,124 <strong>and</strong> Germany with 10,077.Top 10 source markets in 2011CountriesArrivalsThail<strong>and</strong> 61,331China 35,181Malaysia 23,286South Korea 22,507Japan 21,264US 20,487France 19,288Singapore 15,386Taiwan 15,362Germany 13,245Top 10 source markets in 2012 (January - July)CountriesArrivalsThail<strong>and</strong> 48,014Japan 23,242China 22,283US 18,285South Korea 17,799Malaysia 15,916France 15,094Singapore 12,689Taiwan 11,509UK 11,124Source: Ministry of Hotels <strong>and</strong> TourismTotal number of hotels, motels <strong>and</strong> guesthouses in keydestinationsCitiesNo of hotelsYangon 193M<strong>and</strong>alay 76BaganInle Lake 42Pyin Oo Lwin 34Nay Pyi Taw 31Chaungtha BeachKalay 24Nge Saung BeachTaunggyi 17Room rate by star ratingStar ratingFive-starFour-starThree-starTwo-starOne-starNon-ratedSource: Ministry of Hotels <strong>and</strong> TourismPrice rangesUS$180-182US$120-174US$90-115US$50-75US$35-50US$20-30New hotels in 2012• Hotel 7 Mile angon, 53 rooms• Green Hill Hotel angon, 108 rooms• Jade City Hotel Nay Pyi Taw, 90 roomsNew hotels in 2013• Centrepoint Towers Hotel angon, 270 rooms• Nawarat Hotel angon, 100 rooms• Rose Garden Hotel angon, 60 roomsNew attractions/<strong>tourism</strong> infrastructureGolden Myanmar Airlines, the country’s new internationalcarrier, is considering using M<strong>and</strong>alay InternationalAirport as its base. The airline is planning to operatescheduled flights to Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia <strong>and</strong>Hong Kong.www.gmairlines.comThe Myanmar Hospitality & Tourism Conference willbe held at Traders Hotel, Yangon from February 26-28,2013, the product of an agreement between The MyanmarTourism Federation <strong>and</strong> Sphere Conferences. Positionedas a gateway for investors, owners, developers <strong>and</strong>operators of hospitality <strong>and</strong> <strong>tourism</strong> products to exploreopportunities available in Myanmar, the conference willoffer face-to-face meetings with local government offi-