A total of 579,473 foreign tourists have visited Myanmar this year as of the second week of this month, generating more revenue through tourism compared with the same period of last year, sources with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said.

The earning gained as of Dec. 11 was 101.7 million U.S. dollars and 3.87 billion Kyats (about 3.07 million dollars), up from 98.85 million dollars and 3.77 billion Kyats (about 2.9 million dollars).

Of the main tourist arrivals so far in 2006, 19,747 were from Thailand, up from 16,647 in the same period of 2005, while 13,855 were from South Korea, also up from 7,228 correspondingly, it said, attributing the growth to the increase of frequency of flights of the Thai Airways International and chartered flights operating from South Korea since earlier this year. During the same period, the number of travelers from China also went up to 10,244 from 8,550.

Tourist arrivals in Myanmar rose in the past five years from 475,106 in 2001 to 660,206 in 2005 and a target was set to absorb one million into the country this year.

According to the ministry's statistics, there are 596 hotels, motels and guest houses in Myanmar providing a total of over 18, 500 rooms. The number of travel agencies in operation stands at over 500.

Contracted foreign investment in hotels and tourism has so far amounted to 1.06 billion dollars since Myanmar started to open to such investment in late 1988. The investment in hotel projects amounted to over 580 million dollars.

Source:未知