Myanmar to introduce visa-on-arrival system soon
Myanmar is planning to introduce a 100-percent visa-on-arrival system starting the coming open season by November in a bid to revive its tourism, the local weekly Voice quoted the Hoteliers Association as reporting on Sunday.
YANGON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The visa-on-arrival system will be applicable to international visitors with those of some countries be covered in the pilot phase, the report said without specifying the name of the countries.
At present, international travelers applying entry visas into Myanmar through Myanmar embassies abroad have to take four days in Beijing, 24 hours in Jakarta, five days in Paris and Tokyo, three days in London and two days in Bangkok and Singapore, the Myanmar Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying.
Domestic travel and tour companies are presently set to apply for their customers visa-on-arrival 15 days in advance with the presentation of their personal data, the report added.
Meanwhile, all famous resort hotels lying in three beach areas of Myanmar will reopen next month despite drop of tourist arrivals over the past few months impacted by May cyclone, according to earlier local reports.
These measures are taken as part of Myanmar's efforts to revive its tourism industry severely affected by the May storm.
Although it has been over three months after the cyclone smashed Myanmar, tourist arrivals during the period fell 90 percent compared with the previous years correspondingly.
Also as part of its efforts to restore tourism operation in the aftermath of the cyclone storm, Myanmar is reportedly planning to hold a market festival in Inlay, one of the country's famous tourist sites in Shan state.
Preparations including upgrading of hotels and restaurants are underway for the two-day market festival scheduled for next February, sources with the Ministry of hotels and Tourism said.
At present, international travelers applying entry visas into Myanmar through Myanmar embassies abroad have to take four days in Beijing, 24 hours in Jakarta, five days in Paris and Tokyo, three days in London and two days in Bangkok and Singapore, the Myanmar Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying.
Domestic travel and tour companies are presently set to apply for their customers visa-on-arrival 15 days in advance with the presentation of their personal data, the report added.
Meanwhile, all famous resort hotels lying in three beach areas of Myanmar will reopen next month despite drop of tourist arrivals over the past few months impacted by May cyclone, according to earlier local reports.
These measures are taken as part of Myanmar's efforts to revive its tourism industry severely affected by the May storm.
Although it has been over three months after the cyclone smashed Myanmar, tourist arrivals during the period fell 90 percent compared with the previous years correspondingly.
Also as part of its efforts to restore tourism operation in the aftermath of the cyclone storm, Myanmar is reportedly planning to hold a market festival in Inlay, one of the country's famous tourist sites in Shan state.
Preparations including upgrading of hotels and restaurants are underway for the two-day market festival scheduled for next February, sources with the Ministry of hotels and Tourism said.