Outbound leisure travel market booming

WEALTHY Myanmar travellers are increasingly looking abroad when planning their vacations, local travel companies say. Young people are driving the trend, particularly those studying at international schools, said Daw Su Su Tin, managing director of Exotissimo Travels, which specialises in packages to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

“Travelling to foreign countries is more popular than ever,” she said. “Students at international schools are making excursions to foreign countries and we are seeing whole families booking packages together. Business travellers are adding luxury packages onto their trips as well.” Daw Aye Thida, general manager of New Motion Travels and Tours, said outbound holiday packages now made up a significant part of her company’s business. “In 2009-2010, we exceeded our target for outbound packages by more than 65pc and we have seen further increases in travel to foreign countries this year,” she said.

“Organisations – such as companies and international schools – are also choosing to take trips to foreign countries,” she said. “Myanmar people increasingly interested in spending money on travel to foreign countries, particularly ‘new’ destinations.” A spokesperson for Nice Fare Travels and Tours said sales of outbound air tickets to local customers were up 30 percent on this time last year. “Most Myanmar travellers go to Bangkok, Singapore, China and also to Vietnam for leisure,” the spokesperson said.

Until recently most outbound travel was for business, medical or religious purposes. In response to this new lucrative market, travel companies – which traditionally relied on inbound travellers – have started offering a wider range of packages to foreign countries.

“There is strong competition between companies for this market and travellers have more choice than before,” said Daw Hla Dar Le Khin, managing director of Tour de Myanmar Travel and Tours. “They can now choose from a wide variety of price ranges, for example.”

Greater exposure to foreign cultures through television and the internet is thought to be behind the trend, although there are also other factors at play. “There is more interest in the outside world and while people are still taking local trips I think they want to see new places and meet people from other countries and share what they see when they come back,” said Daw Hla Dar Le Khin. “Maybe they have been to the main tourist sites in Myanmar and don’t want to visit them again.”

“I think movies and the media have been very influential in encouraging foreign travel,” agreed a spokesperson for Columbus Travels. “Travel to foreign countries is increasing each year, and there’s also more travel options.” Foreign travel is also cheaper and easier than at just about any point in the past five decades. Low-cost carrier AirAsia links Yangon with Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, while the strengthening Myanmar currency ensures travellers get more bang for their kyat.

Daw Hla Dar Le Khin said new air routes played a large part in the increase in outbound leisure travellers, which she said were up about 10 percent this peak season. “The launch of direct flights to destinations in China, for example, generated a lot of interest in travel to that country. But Bangkok and ‘three country’ (Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand) packages are still popular.” Other new destinations include Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, while Air Bagan says it plans to soon begin flights to Siem Reap in Cambodia and Phuket in Thailand.

Travel is likely to get even easier in 2015 when Myanmar joins the ASEAN Economic Community, said U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, vice chairman of the Myanmar Marketing Committee and managing director of All Asia Exclusive Travel. “There should be no barriers between the ASEAN countries, and this includes travel barriers,” he said. “Myanmar people who want to visit other ASEAN countries will not need to apply for a visa from 2015.”

In a taste of what is to come, the Thai embassy in Yangon has been implementing a tourist visa fee exemption program almost continuously since March 2009. In the first year of the program, the number of visas issued rose 33 percent. More recently, Vietnam’s ambassador to Myanmar said his country was eager to waive visa fees in a bid to increase tourism between the two countries. U Phyoe Wai Yar Zar said the increase in outbound travellers was indicative of Myanmar’s growing urban middle class. “We can measure how wealthy Myanmar travellers are by the numbers that are choosing to visit foreign countries.”

Source=mmtimes