The Directorate expects that by the end of the year the total number of foreign visitors will reach 600,000 as November and December have always been the busiest months for the region in terms of tourism.
The leading source market for tourist arrivals to Mandalay is China that supplied almost 400,000 tourists. Other major source countries, though far behind China, are Spain, Germany, France, Italy, US and India.
While Myanmar tourism industry suffered much from the failure of the country to address the Rakhine State humanitarian crisis, things are getting better this year. In order to attract more international travellers, the country is considering to relax visa requirements for Western tourists. Earlier, visa rules for Chinese, South Korean, and Japanese tourists have been eased, too.
This year, after the Bagan Archaeological Zone was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site this summer, the region experienced an influx of travellers from Europe. The regional authorities hope the tendency persists the next year, too.
Tourist Arrivals Rise in Mandalay
News in Asia
The Directorate of Hotels and Tourism in Upper Myanmar revealed that over 500,000 overseas tourists visited Mandalay Region between January and October 2019, beating the last year's record when 490,000 foreigners travelled to Mandalay during the whole year.