Myanmar has declared that it would reopen its borders to international passengers on April 17th, the latest indicator of the global travel recovery. Myanmar is the third country to announce that it will reopen its borders to foreign tourists. International entries were temporarily halted on March 29th, 2020, in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, a recent decline in the number of cases and fatalities has given the administration the confidence to reopen its borders.
A complete set of vaccinations as well as one week of quarantine upon arrival, as well as two PCR tests, are required by the Myanmar Ministry of Health before international tourists are allowed entry into the country.
In South East Asia, the recovery is still ongoing. As a result of this statement, Myanmar joins a growing number of other South East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore in reopening their borders to foreign visitors.
Such moves often result in a big boost for a country’s aviation business. For example, when Vietnam announced the reopening of its borders earlier this year, there was a considerable surge in demand for flights.
It is anticipated that this declaration would help to resurrect Myanmar’s ailing tourist sector, as well as the country’s broader economic recovery. Non-stop devastation from the epidemic has compounded the country’s financial troubles, which have been worsened by last year’s military takeover, which resulted in many international investors withdrawing their investments from Myanmar.
It was announced by the National Central Committee on Coronavirus Disease Prevention, Control, and Treatment that the decision to reopen the country’s borders had been taken “in order to strengthen the tourist business sector and to ensure that visitors who come to Myanmar have a smooth journey.”
International assistance provided before to a pandemic
Myanmar, which is home to world-renowned attractions such as Inle Lake and the temples of Bagan, was growing more popular with international tourists prior to the outbreak of the Ebola virus. According to data from Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotel and Tourism, the country received more than 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2019. Most of them, about 1.8 million, came by plane at one of the country’s three international airports, which are located in the cities of Yangon, Mandalay, and the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.
The Yangon International Airport, which served a wide range of destinations throughout Asia, including Doha, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur, was the country’s busiest international airport prior to the outbreak of the avian influenza pandemic in April 2009.
In the past, foreign airlines were responsible for the vast bulk of Myanmar’s international flights. For example, the Dubai – Yangon – Krabi route, which began operations in December 2019, was perhaps the company’s most distinctive service.