Foreign tourist arrivals to Myanmar decreased in 2024 compared to 2023, an official of the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism told One News.Myanmar received some 1.6 million foreign tourists in 2023, but only about 1.2 million in 2024.
The decrease in foreign tourist arrivals is likely due to high airfares and domestic situation, and the international spread of misinformation about Myanmar and issuance of travel advisories also lead to the decrease. Although foreign tourist arrivals decreased in 2024, the number of local tourists increased in the same year, the official said.
Deputy Prime Minister Union Minister for Transport and Communications General Mya Htun Oo, who is also Member of the State Administration Council and Chairman of the Central Committee on National Tourism Development, also said at the central committee meeting held on January 8 that the nation should focus on facilitating local transport for domestic tourists and attracting more foreign tourists like other countries and that measures are to be taken mainly in order that foreign tourists should be aware of the real situation in a short time that they can travel safely and securely in Myanmar.
Myanmar’s neighboring Thailand received more than 35.54 million tourists in 2024, an increase by over 26 percent compared to 2023.
