Senior General Min Aung Hlaing highlighted the important role of the tourism industry in the booming of the State economy at the 2023 World Tourism Day ceremony.
Arrivals of international tourists in Myanmar increased six times in comparison with that of the same period last year, said Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
The Senior General delivered an address at the ceremony to mark the 2023 World Tourism Day at the Myanmar International Convention Centre-II in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday.
He recounted that due to the resumption of international flights and sea ports, more than 600,000 international travellers arrived in the country from January to July 2023, exceeding some sixfold the amount rather than more than 100,000 international tourists last year.
The Senior General noted that the government is striving for the resurgence of the State economy in all aspects, and emphasis must be placed on the tourism industry contributing to the State economy. In so doing, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has drawn strategy and action plans for increasing the number of domestic and international travellers, he added.
As such, the Senior General expressed his firm belief that the tourism sector will reach a situation similar to that of the pre-Covid-19 period soon due to the increasing number of tourist arrivals. The Senior General continued that Myanmar is endowed with underground and above-ground natural resources, adding invaluable cultural heritage that can be seen across the nation. Based on these natural resources and cultural heritages, the country needs to strive for the exploration of tourist destinations to attract travellers and for the long-term development of the tourism sector.
The Senior General stressed the need to invest in green infrastructure development measures in order to efficiently use natural resources in energy-saving ways.
He highlighted that as peace and stability contribute to the development of the tourism industry, it is necessary to foster peace and stability in all aspects for the development of the nation.
They all enjoyed a video clip on the message sent by the secretary-general of the World Tourism Organization.
The Senior General, Joint Secretary Lt-Gen Ye Win Oo and Council Member Admiral Tin Aung San presented prizes to winners in the contests to mark World Tourism Day 2023 and viewed round the displays at the exhibition.
The commemorative ceremony was also attended by State dignitaries, diplomats, scholars and those from the private tourism sector.
Myanmar allowed international flights from 17 April 2022 to land in the country and accepted the application of e-visa on 20 May the same year. More than 200,000 international travellers entered the country through international airports, sea ports and land borders in 2022. Such an amount exceeded 43 per cent more than 2021. Due to the resumption of international flights and sea ports, more than 600,000 international travellers arrived in the country from January to July 2023.
Myanmar, being a member of the UNWTO, has been marking World Tourism Day on 27 September yearly like the other member countries of the organization across the world. — MNA/TTA
