Tourism law to be revised

“Myanmar’s tourism has potential for further development. It will be helped by the ADB [Asian Development Bank] and the government of Norway. Our plan will create job opportunities in the country,” said Htay Aung, Minister for Hotels and Tourism.

Among factors seen spurring the industry are the upcoming Southeast Asian Games towards the end of this year and Myanmar’s chairmanship of Asean in 2014.

However, the country’s infrastructure is still in poor condition, while it faces issues such as a lack of sufficient hotel rooms and poor Internet connection.

Myanmar earlier unveiled a US$500 million (Bt15 billion) plan to upgrade the country’s tourism industry, and the ADB and Norway are to assist in the implementation of the master plan. It will improve transportation access to the major tourist destinations of Myanmar, boost security services for foreign tourists, and require the formation of a national level coordination board.

In 2011 and 2012, Myanmar witnessed a new high in the number of foreign tourists, which has risen 29.7 per cent to 1.06 million compared to the year before. Relaxation of visa restrictions has been attributed to the boost in the industry.