In a bid to expand the tourism market, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism is holding discussions with relevant ministries to relax visa policies for tourists from Japan, China and South Korea.

Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism Ohn Maung mentioned it during a coordination meeting on the participation in JATA Tourism Expo 2018 and the implementation of digital marketing for tourism promotion, held at Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon on July 8.

Thet Lwin Toe, chair of Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneurs Association said: “Due to the Rakhine incident, tourists from the EU countries are becoming less interested in Myanmar. Some tour companies estimate tourist arrivals from the major markets—France and the UK—are expected to drop by 30% to 40%.”

Despite a drop in tourist arrivals from the EU, the number of tourist arrivals from Japan, South Korea and China is increasing.

The relaxation of visa policies aims to attract more visitors from Japan, South Korea and China.

Special efforts are being made to get the funds for tourism promotion. In addition to tourism promotion, it needs to take account of country promotion, said the Union Minister.