Burma welcomes 1 million visitors....
January 2013

Recently 're-opened' Myanmar has seen a surge in overseas visitors – with figures topping one million in 2012.

Burmese officials released data on Tuesday 22 January, which showed the country had been visited by more than one million people over the past 12 months.

"This is a very outstanding year for the industry. We have never experienced it before," said U Phyo Wai Yar Zar, Vice Chairman of the Myanmar Tourism Board.

Kellie Netherwood - a Wanderlust Magazine Blogger of the Week - visited Burma in November 2012. She said: “Myanmar deserves its place as a ‘top travel destination’. I’ve visited nearly 50 countries and six continents and Myanmar remains one of my favourite places.

"You will be welcomed into the country by people who are proud of a culture they are keen to share with you, who are equally curious about your lifestyle and country. But before you book your flight, take a moment to remember that tourism has the ability to both enhance and destroy a culture.”

The significant growth in numbers has been cited as a result of the release of pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi in late 2010 and the end of a tourism boycott. Burma is expecting more overseas visitors growth in 2013.

See our fabulous 15 day 'Road to Mandalay; Burmese Journey' tour. Myanmar/Burma is an enigmatic land of golden pagodas and mist-shrouded jungle, Isolated for years by the outside world, it remains an enigma to many. Visit, and you will discover a timeless land of colonial elegance and Buddhist tradition that has changed little over the intervening years.