Domestic travelers going abroad as well as foreign tourists visiting Myanmar are facing delays in securing visas, and the visa requirements of embassies are triggering hassles to travelers, and that smooth visa issuance is important for tourism development. Tourist arrivals have further increased since the beginning of tour season
in 2011. The tourism industry of Myanmar has recovered since 2010 after its downturns during the post Cyclone Nargis period in 2008 and the world economic crisis in 2009. Although tourist arrivals decreased in 2008 and 2009, there were a great number of outbound tours from Myanmar. People from tourism industry are of the view that inbound tours as well as outbound tours will increase this year compared with the previous years.
in 2011. The tourism industry of Myanmar has recovered since 2010 after its downturns during the post Cyclone Nargis period in 2008 and the world economic crisis in 2009. Although tourist arrivals decreased in 2008 and 2009, there were a great number of outbound tours from Myanmar. People from tourism industry are of the view that inbound tours as well as outbound tours will increase this year compared with the previous years.
Requirements for development of tourism industry
As a developing country, tourism industry of the country cannot keep abreast of other countries because it still needs to improve such fundamental requirements for tourism development as hotel services and limousine services.
“Myanmar has a number of tourist attractions. However, there are a lot of weaknesses in development of these attractions. Let alone accommodation needs for the increased number of tourists, there are not enough toilets and standard restaurants in the tour destinations. The limousine service is not available. When the tourist arrival is high, inconveniences occur even at the Yangon International Airport, the gateway to Myanmar,” a tourism expert pointed out.
Outbound tourists and visa delays
With increasing number Myanmar tourists to neighboring Thailand, China and Malaysia, there were delays in visa applications at the embassies concerned.
“Development of tourism industry requires smooth visa issuance not only for inbound tours but also for outbound tours. Visa applicants are also required to provide all the necessary documents to the embassies concerned,” said a senior tour guide of Travel Zone Travels and Tours.
There were instances in which outbound tourists to Thailand and Malaysia had to queue outside the embassies the whole night to get visas, and there were inconveniences in providing property documents or ownership evidence of property, according to Ma Thiri who often visits Thailand during the Thingyan Festivals.
“I had never had an experience as bad as this year’s in applying for the visa from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand. I had to stand in a queue the whole night just to get a token. My nephew, who visited Thailand for the first time, had to submit ownership evidence of property such as phones, cars and other belongings.Before being granted the visa, my nephew had to go to the embassy several times because he failed to present one or other of the numerous documents required for visa application such as ownership evidence of phones, cars and other property. In fact, we visited their country to spend our money there. Our visit benefited them. There would be a lot of Myanmar people who want to visit Thailand, if there were not so many requirements,” added Ma Thiri.
Visa application is also difficult for American and European tours. Tourists to such destinations are required to apply for visas by themselves as most travel agencies do not provide visa services.
“Most travel agencies do not provide visa services for American and European tours. Although our Gandawin Shwe Bagan travel agency provide visa services for such destinations, it is difficult to secure a visa. Even if we provide them with all the documents necessary for the application, they reject when they are doubtful. Sometimes, we applied for visa for three family members but they issued visas for only two family members,” said a responsible person from Gandawin Shwe Bagan Travels and Tours Agency.
“When we applied for visas to cover the ASEAN Summit, the embassy concerned forced us to show the invitation from the host country. We had applied to cover the summit online, so we did not have any hard copy invitations. As we went there on our own, we did not have any sponsorship either. The embassy insisted to show the sponsorship documents. We explained that we had not received the invitation for the summit although we were officially allowed to cover the summit. We told them that if we had to wait for the documents of invitation, we would not have enough time for visa application. However, the embassy refused to issue visas for us. They said that our difficulties were none of their business. We had to contact officials from Indonesia on our phone, and let the embassy official and responsible official for the summit in Indonesia talk the matter on the phone. The officials from Indonesia told the embassy official that they would send the invitation on 30 April, and the summit would began on 4 May. So there was not enough time to apply for visas when the invitation was sent. Even then the embassy official responsible for visa still refused to issue the visas. At last we had to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. Fortunately, we were granted our visas when the Indonesian foreign ministry official told the Indonesian Embassy in Yangon to issue visas for us without any requirements. Even then we had to fill out forms for weight, value and origins of our belongings to be carried. The Indonesian Embassy in Yangon issued visas for us on 2 May, only one day before our trip on 3 May. They told us to come back to the embassy at night on 2 May to get a recommendation from the embassy, saying that we would get into trouble at the Indonesian customs at the airport if we did not have the recommendation. In reality, the Indonesian customs did not require us to show that recommendation. They did not even check our things.
In these days, everyone is using cameras and lap top computers. I think we do not need to apply for the permission to carry cameras and computers. However, the embassy required us to apply for permissions to use cameras and computers. The Indonesian Embassy in Yangon gave us a bitter experience that we have never had at any other embassies,” said a journalist from the Eleven Media Group who covered the 18th ASEAN Summit in Indonesia.
Most foreign travellers come to Myanmar individually on business visas rather than on group tours. Tourists from Thailand have come in groups since the start of Dawei Deep Sea Port Project, according to a Thai tour guide. With the increased investment of China in Myanmar and gems emporiums regularly held, the number of Chinese tourists to Myanmar has also increased.
“For this year’s gems emporium in Nay Pyi Taw, we operated Nay Pyi Taw- Guangzhou direct flights,” said Marketing Manager Daw Aye Mra Tha of MAI.
Visas on arrivals for foreign tourists
“Visa on arrival is a system practiced in most countries. When we started this, the number of tourist arrivals considerably increased. Although we stopped issuing visas on arrival, tourists are stilling visiting Myanmar with regular visas. If we resume the visas on arrival system, the number of tourists to Myanmar will further
increase,” said a responsible official from international airlines. Foreign tourists are also having difficulties to get visas at Myanmar embassies abroad as they have to stand in queue waiting for visas, it was learnt.
increase,” said a responsible official from international airlines. Foreign tourists are also having difficulties to get visas at Myanmar embassies abroad as they have to stand in queue waiting for visas, it was learnt.
On-arrival-visa system is very important for the development of tourism industry. Tourism experts are of the view that resumption of the system will improve the situation.
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