Since almost five decades of rule by a military junta came to an end in Myanmar (also known as Burma) in 2011, a growing number of tourists are choosing to visit the South East Asian nation.

From ancient cities, to dazzling Buddhist temples, and unspoilt beaches and countryside, it is easy to see the attraction of the country to international visitors. This year an estimated three million tourists will travel to Myanmar, according to the government’s Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

This is a 50% rise on the two million who entered the country in 2013, and triple the one million who visited in 2012. After 49 years of international isolation, Myanmar’s tourism sector is having to work hard – and quickly – to meet the wants and needs of all the new overseas visitors.

With the country’s tourism industry still in such a nascent state, it means tremendous opportunities for young Burmese entrepreneurs. And despite continuing problems in the country – such as sectarian violence between majority Rakhine Buddhists and minority Rohingya Muslims – most young businessmen and women in the tourism sector are very optimistic about the future.

Number of foreign visitors received in 2013

Thailand – 26.5 million
Malaysia – 25.7 million
Hong Kong – 25.6 million
South Korea – 12.1 million
Japan – 10.3 million
Indonesia – 8.8 million
Vietnam – 7.5 million
Myanmar – 2 million
Source: World Tourism Association

He says: “I learned that to work [legitimately] I needed the tourist licence. It takes only two months, but it’s very competitive.” Min successfully passed the course, and now has four staff, an on-call driver, and a network of tour guides around the country, most of whom are former classmates.

Internet importance

From day one, Min says he realised how crucial it would be for him to use the internet to attract potential customers from around the world. Yet this is no easy feat when you are based in Myanmar, a country that holds the dubious honour of having one of the lowest rates of internet penetration in the world.

In 2012 only 1% of the Burmese population had access to the internet, according to a study by one global think tank. Until recently, Min did not have his own internet connection, and instead had to go to a local internet cafe. “It used to be so slow,” he says. “It used to take me almost one hour to reply to one email sometimes!”

Despite the slow speeds, Min persevered and set about familiarising himself with the online landscape. He started by providing advice about Myanmar for free on travel website forums, which eventually led to some of his first clients.
Today, Min is able to go online on his mobile, and Pro Niti Travel has its own website. Despite this, Min says he gets many of his clients via word of mouth, and thanks to positive reviews on travel review sites such as TripAdvisor.
“People forget tourism is mostly a referral market. You need the reference.”
Drinking laws
While internet connectivity in Myanmar is set to improve substantially – after major contracts to roll out new mobile phone networks were recently won by Norwegian telecoms firm Tenenor and Qatari-based Ooredoo – other young Burmese entrepreneurs also complain about connection woes.

Ye Man Thu, who manages his family’s mid-range hotel in the ancient city of Bagan, says the internet going down can mean that last-minute bookings don’t come through.However, the 25-year-old’s main concern is to get local licensing laws relaxed, to allow his bar and restaurant to stay open beyond the current limit of 10pm.

But the idea has ruffled some feathers with locals in a city with more than 2,000 Buddhist temples. “We have a bit of a problem with the beer stations because we are in the archaeological zone surrounded by religion and culture,” he says. “Police and authorities cannot allow people to drink beer past 10pm. [Yet] for other countries, this is not their culture, they want to relax. “Also, it would mean a lot of jobs for young people. Business people also welcome that.”

Expensive property

In Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city, the continuing influx of foreign investment into the country following the removal of sanctions by Western nations, has led to a construction boom and a big rise in property prices. For 28-year-old Bo, this meant she greatly struggled to find an affordable location in which to open a Thai restaurant.

surce: bbc.com