Yangon Airport Arrivals Up 44 Percent

By Zaw Win Than | Monday, 20 May 2013

Foreign arrivals through Yangon airport were up almost 44 percent in the first four months of the year following a record-breaking 2012, figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism show.

A foreign tourist takes a photograph from the top of a temple in Bagan near sunset. (Kaung Htet/The Myanmar Times)

From January 1 to the end of April, 253,136 foreign visitors arrived at Yangon airport, a 43.88pc increase on the 175,930 recorded during the same period last year. Of the total, 64pc were tourists, including 108,168 free independent travellers, known as FITs, and 55,584 package tourists. Most of the 35.5pc growth in tourist arrivals came in the FIT sector.

There was also a 42.2pc rise in business travellers to 46,871, along with a 23.3pc rise in social visa holders to 15,276. Another 27,237 arrived on other types of visas, up almost three-fold on the same period in 2012.

The increase in visitors has largely been attributed to political and economic reforms undertaken by the government since 2010, with the stage appearing to be set for rapid and continuous growth in the industry.

Full article here: http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/lifestyle/travel/6807-arrivals-up-44pc-at-yangon-airport.html