MYANMAR SUFFERS 38PC SLUMP IN RANKS OF FOREIGN TOURISTS
Myanmar welcomed 2.9 million foreign tourists in 2016, a plunge of 38 per cent from the previous year, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. In 2015, 4.68 million travellers visited.
Of the total visitor arrivals last year, more than 1 million came in at Yangon International Airport.
Over 700,000 visitors came in from Thailand, the biggest transit source, followed by China, Japan and South Korea.| By nationality, Thai visitors also topped the list, numbering 207,000.
Myanmar welcomed 126,500 Chinese, 95,400 Japanese and 63,000 Koreans.
The share of visitors from Singapore, Malaysia, India and Taiwan followed in that order.
Myanmar last year received almost 181,000 tourists from western Europe, mostly from Britain, France and Germany, and 12,700 from eastern Europe, mainly from Russia. There were around 64,500 US visitors and 11,900 from Canada.
The tourism sector generated more than |$1 billion in 2014 and 2015. US$319 million in 2011, US$534 million in 2012, US$926 million in 2013 and US$1.1 billion in 2014 and 2015.
