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🇸🇬 Singapore /Economy & Trade

Myanmar Bets on Ancient Temples, Buddhist Sites to Revive Tourism Economy

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Context piece
  • Myanmar's military-backed government is prioritizing tourism as a key indicator of economic recovery, aiming to nearly double foreign arrivals by 2026.
  • The strategy involves easing visa regulations and targeting travelers from China and Thailand to revitalize an industry severely impacted by the 2021 coup and subsequent civil war.
  • Despite government efforts, the projected visitor numbers for 2026 remain significantly lower than pre-coup levels and pale in comparison to neighboring Thailand's tourism figures.

Myanmar's military-backed government is banking on tourism to signal an economic turnaround, with plans to almost double foreign visitor arrivals to 1.8 million by 2026. This push involves relaxing visa rules and focusing on attracting travelers from neighboring China and Thailand, aiming to revive an industry devastated since the 2021 coup plunged the country into civil war and international isolation.

Maung Maung Kyaw, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture, stated that Chinese and Thai visitors are expected to be the primary drivers of this tourism growth. Official figures show Myanmar welcomed 973,263 international visitors in 2025, with arrivals reaching 448,205 by May 2026. To meet the 2026 target, the country needs a significantly stronger performance in the latter half of the year.

We mainly expect to see a surge in Chinese and Thai visitors, so they will be a key driver of our tourism growth.

— Maung Maung KyawPermanent secretary at the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture discusses the expected sources of tourist growth.

Even if Myanmar achieves its goal, the 1.8 million visitors would still be far below the approximately 4.7 million welcomed in 2015. Neighboring Thailand, a major tourist hub, attracted about 33 million tourists in 2025 and anticipates a similar number in 2026. Chinese travelers remain Myanmar's largest visitor group by air, followed by Thais and South Koreans, with Chinese arrivals increasing by 12% and Thai arrivals by 7% in the first five months of 2026.

The government has expanded its visa-on-arrival program for citizens of China, India, Japan, and South Korea, while citizens from Russia and most Southeast Asian nations already have visa-free entry. Aung Aye Han, director general of the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism, emphasized the country's priority on "trust-building," highlighting Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake, and the Golden Rock Pagoda as key attractions. Since assuming the presidency in April, Min Aung Hlaing has focused on rebuilding regional ties through state visits to China and India and normalizing relations with Southeast Asian neighbors.

The country prioritizes trust-building.

— Aung Aye HanDirector general of the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism describes Myanmar's approach to attracting visitors.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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