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Myanmar welcomed 4.68 million tourists in 2015, according to figures from the Hotels and Tourism Ministry, an astounding performance representing a 52% increase over the 3.08 million in the previous year. Tourist arrivals have surged since the country opens up in 2011 as a quasi-civilian government took power under President Thein Sein, with the number of arrivals climbing from just below 800,000 in 2011 to the figures now, the Irrawaddy reported, citing official statistics. The ministry says it is working to hit 7.49 million in 2020.





The "Egypt of Southeast Asia", since opening up in 2011 tourist arrivals to Myanmar has grown from under 0.8 million to 4.68 million now



This means Myanmar has surpassed Laos and is catching up with Cambodia. An estimated 4.8 million tourists visited Cambodia in 2015, up 6% from the 4.5 million visitors in 2014, Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism Under­secretary of State said. On the other hand, Lao News Agency quoted the most recent official results saying Laos tourist arrivals in 2015 was 4.3 million , up 4% from the 4.1 million in 2014. Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are the much poorer countries in ASEAN working to develop tourism masterplan, in hopes that the sector could provide major boost to the economy like neighboring Thailand.





Laos and Cambodia each attracted around 4 million tourists



Thailand has regained its regional throne from Malaysia. International tourist arrivals in Thailand reached a record high in 2016, the country's tourism minister said, undeterred by the deadly Erawan shrine attack in October. Thailand attracted a total of 29.9 million foreign tourists in 2015, representing an increase of 20.4% from the 24.81 million who visited in 2014. Tourism accounts for about 10% of Thailand's GDP and is one of the few bright spots for an economy that underperformed peers in Southeast Asia after a series of military coups.





Thailand is again Southeast Asia most visited, at 29.9 million compared to the 26.7 million of Malaysia



Malaysia's tourism suffered from the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST), with the industry still recovering from three air disasters in 2014. Malaysia's tourist arrivals in 2015 "should increase by 4% from 2013," said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz. That put the figure as 26.7 million . The minister said he did not compare the figure with 2014 because the ministry had a bigger allocation and there were more promotional campaigns to promote the country that year. Arrivals in 2014 was 27.4 million.





GST and air disasters hit Malaysia tourism, country surrendered its crown to Thailand



The Singapore Tourism Board says it should receive 15.5 million tourists in 2015, up by just a mere 2.1% from 2014. The city-state had to cut its earlier target of 17 million due to the economic slowdown in China. Philippines Department of Tourism (DOT) meanwhile, declared 2015 a "success". More than 5.3 million foreigners visited the Philippines in 2015 to take their vacation, 10.91% increase from the 4.8 million tourist arrivals in 2014, DOT said. "Tourism industry in the Philippines today accounts for 1 in every 10 jobs in the economy or 12.7% share in the total employment according to our Philippine Statistic Authority," the department highlighted. It is targeting 6 million in 2016.





Philippines declares success, 5.3 million tourists in 2015, setting target to surpass Vietnam (7.94 million) in 5 years



Indonesia is another country expecting to see an upstick in tourism this year. The government says tourist arrivals in 2015 was 10 million , up from the 9.4 million in 2014. In mid-2015, the Indonesian government scrapped visit visa requirements for another 45 countries with the aim of attracting more tourists. The largest country in Southeast Asia says it is targeting 12 million in 2016. Vietnam suffered the first drop in tourist arrivals since 2009. International visitors to Vietnam witnessed a modest year-on-year decrease of 0.2% to 7.94 million in 2015, the latest report from the General Statistics Office (GSO) reveals. No reason was given but the government and local tourism firms are already blaming each others.





Indonesia tourism hit 10 million, catching up Singapore's 15 million



Among them are complicated visa process. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is asking the government to grant an extension on visa exemptions for visitors of five western European countries. They also say that the government must help promote the country as promotional programs brought by tourism companies is too small a sum to bring about any real changes. With the decline of tourist arrivals, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has shifted the blame towards the tourist industry, accusing them for failing to make use of Vietnam's potential and advantages for their growth. "Myanmar will soon welcome five million international tourists and we are stuck in seven million for the third year, so what do you comrades think?" he said from Hanoi.





Brunei's Sharia tourism languished at bottom. Conflicting reports from various government departments putting the figures at 0.08 to 0.3 million



With Myanmar making it into the bracket, all the 9 ASEAN countries above recorded a tourist arrival of over 4 million. The remaining one is Brunei, who did not publish an official tourist figure since 2014, when the country implemented the Sharia Penal Code. The Sultan of Brunei reshuffled his cabinet in October 2015, creating a ministry with focus on tourism amid a backdrop of sluggish industry growth and falling visitor numbers. There are also conflicting numbers for tourists. The tourism department reported that there was 0.27 million visitors in 2013. The Department of Economic Planning and Development, in charge of national statistics, however, said tourist arrivals was 85,599 in 2013, and has slipped to 78,436 in 2014.





http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-01/17/c_135016904.htm

https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/tourist-...stimate-106269/

http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2016/01/lao-...comment-page-1/

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/83...close-to-target

http://english.astroawani.com/malaysia-new...ear-nazri-77412

http://www.mb.com.ph/dot-more-than-5-3-mil...the-ph-in-2015/

http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/indo...n-visitors-2016

http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/business/...-since--09.html

http://www.aseancruising.com/country-report-brunei/



This post has been edited by hippihippo: Jan 26 2016, 05:38 PM

welcomedtourists in 2015, according to figures from the Hotels and Tourism Ministry, an astounding performance representing a 52% increase over the 3.08 million in the previous year. Tourist arrivals have surged since the country opens up in 2011 as a quasi-civilian government took power under President Thein Sein, with the number of arrivals climbing from just below 800,000 in 2011 to the figures now, the Irrawaddy reported, citing official statistics. The ministry says it is working to hit 7.49 million in 2020.This means Myanmar has surpassed Laos and is catching up with Cambodia. An estimatedtourists visitedin 2015, up 6% from the 4.5 million visitors in 2014, Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism Under­secretary of State said. On the other hand, Lao News Agency quoted the most recent official results sayingtourist arrivals in 2015 was, up 4% from the 4.1 million in 2014. Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are the much poorer countries in ASEAN working to develop tourism masterplan, in hopes that the sector could provide major boost to the economy like neighboring Thailand.has regained its regional throne from Malaysia. International tourist arrivals in Thailand reached a record high in 2016, the country's tourism minister said, undeterred by the deadly Erawan shrine attack in October. Thailand attracted a total offoreign tourists in 2015, representing an increase of 20.4% from the 24.81 million who visited in 2014. Tourism accounts for about 10% of Thailand's GDP and is one of the few bright spots for an economy that underperformed peers in Southeast Asia after a series of military coups.'s tourism suffered from the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST), with the industry still recovering from three air disasters in 2014. Malaysia's tourist arrivals in 2015 "should increase by 4% from 2013," said Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz. That put the figure as. The minister said he did not compare the figure with 2014 because the ministry had a bigger allocation and there were more promotional campaigns to promote the country that year. Arrivals in 2014 was 27.4 million.TheTourism Board says it should receivetourists in 2015, up by just a mere 2.1% from 2014. The city-state had to cut its earlier target of 17 million due to the economic slowdown in China.Department of Tourism (DOT) meanwhile, declared 2015 a "success". More thanforeigners visited the Philippines in 2015 to take their vacation, 10.91% increase from the 4.8 million tourist arrivals in 2014, DOT said. "Tourism industry in the Philippines today accounts for 1 in every 10 jobs in the economy or 12.7% share in the total employment according to our Philippine Statistic Authority," the department highlighted. It is targeting 6 million in 2016.is another country expecting to see an upstick in tourism this year. The government says tourist arrivals in 2015 was, up from the 9.4 million in 2014. In mid-2015, the Indonesian government scrapped visit visa requirements for another 45 countries with the aim of attracting more tourists. The largest country in Southeast Asia says it is targeting 12 million in 2016.suffered the first drop in tourist arrivals since 2009. International visitors to Vietnam witnessed a modest year-on-year decrease of 0.2% toin 2015, the latest report from the General Statistics Office (GSO) reveals. No reason was given but the government and local tourism firms are already blaming each others.Among them are complicated visa process. The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) is asking the government to grant an extension on visa exemptions for visitors of five western European countries. They also say that the government must help promote the country as promotional programs brought by tourism companies is too small a sum to bring about any real changes. With the decline of tourist arrivals, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has shifted the blame towards the tourist industry, accusing them for failing to make use of Vietnam's potential and advantages for their growth. "Myanmar will soon welcome five million international tourists and we are stuck in seven million for the third year, so what do you comrades think?" he said from Hanoi.With Myanmar making it into the bracket, all the 9 ASEAN countries above recorded a tourist arrival of over 4 million. The remaining one is, who did not publish an official tourist figure since 2014, when the country implemented the Sharia Penal Code. The Sultan of Brunei reshuffled his cabinet in October 2015, creating a ministry with focus on tourism amid a backdrop of sluggish industry growth and falling visitor numbers. There are also conflicting numbers for tourists. The tourism department reported that there was 0.27 million visitors in 2013. The Department of Economic Planning and Development, in charge of national statistics, however, said tourist arrivals was 85,599 in 2013, and has slipped toin 2014.