New Hotels In Myanmar Welcome Forecast For 5 MN Tourists In 2015
The ministry's director Khin Than Win said up to 5 million tourists are expected for the 2015 year. This follows on from around 792,000 tourists who visited Myanmar in 2010, 816,000 in 2011, 1 million in 2012, 2 million in 2013 and 3 million in 2014.
In terms of revenue, US$320 million was earned in 2011, US$530 million in 2012, US$930 million in 2013 and US$1.8 billion in 2014.
Helping the growth in visitor arrivals is myanmar hotels's eVisa that can be applied for online. This is available to citizens of 100 countries and it can be used to enter the country through Yangon, the capital Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay airports.
Ordinary passport holders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam are eligible for 14 days visa exemption.
The eVisa is valid for a stay of up to 28 days from the date of arrival and has a validity period of 90 days from its issuing date.
It can be applied for online at website with requirements being that an applicant's passport is valid for at least six months, one colour photo taken during the past three months and the fee (non refundable) of US$50 paid either with Visa, MasterCard or American Express. A message on the website states that more payment options are being explored to offer a wider credit card range.
The website states that the applicant will receive an email acknowledgement within one hour of successful payment of the fee, and that the application processing time is up to three working days.
Once approved, the applicant will receive via email an eVisa approval letter. This letter must be printed out and presented to immigration with passport upon arrival in myanmar hotels.
As international tourism to myanmar hotels grows, new hotels in myanmar in Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and other destinations have been added to the accommodation supply, while air links have been increased through the launching of new routes and boosting of frequencies on some existing routes.
The main international gateway of Yangon, the country's largest city, offers visitors exotic sights and sounds to be explored while accommodation-wise the choice includes budget, three and four star properties including brand names like Best Western, Novotel and Shangri-La and some of the finest historic hotels in Southeast Asia.
Among the city's most famous accommodation addresses and one of the most iconic five star hotels in Yangon is The Strand Yangon. Built in the early 1900s, the 31-suite The Strand Yangon offers guests an elegant blend of the charms of a bygone era with modern day comfort and technology. Throughout the property there is over 100 tons of teak, its bathrooms feature marble and old-fashioned taps and the staircases are thickly carpeted and decorated with Burmese Kalaga tapestries. The lobby is a magnificent enclave of flowers, potted plants and rattan furniture.
The suites at The Strand Yangon are characterized with high ceilings, teakwood floors, hand carved wood frame beds and ceiling fans, complemented with Burmese lacquerware and antiquities.
