According to Singapore Tourism Board (STB), Myanmar achieved a recordbreaking 146,000 visitor arrivals, or a 28.3 percent year-on-year increase, to Singapore in 2017, leading all Asian visitor markets in terms of percentage growth.
Myanmar visitor arrivals to Singapore peaked in April 2017 during the Thingyan travel season, with nearly 20,000 travellers – the most number of Myanmar visitors Singapore has ever welcomed in a month.
According to STB, the increase in Myanmar visitor arrivals was spurred by the lifting of visa requirements in December 2016 as well as increased marketing efforts in 2017, including the launch of Singapore’s new Passion Made Possible destination brand at the annual Singapore Festival consumer fair in September last year.
“More Myanmar visitors are choosing Singapore, drawn by the family-friendly environment that is easy to navigate, as well as the wide range of lifestyle experiences Singapore offers, including our leisure attractions and year-long calendar of lifestyle events. The lifting of visa requirements in December 2016 has also enhanced the ease of travel to Singapore, shortening the travel lead time and making planning hasslefree,” said John Conceicao, Executive Director, and International Relations & Market Planning & Oceania at the Singapore Tourism Board. “The 2017 tourism results are very encouraging and we will continue to launch more initiatives in Myanmar in 2018 to showcase why Myanmar visitors should return to Singapore over and over again,” he added.
Riding on 2017’s record performance, STB has partnered SilkAir and the Union of Myanmar Travel Association’s (UMTA) Mandalay chapter to introduce an exclusive package for travellers from Mandalay and the surrounding areas for the coming Thingyan holiday. This is the first time there has been a Singapore travel package customized exclusively for the Mandalay market.
Launched at the Visa Travel Fair happening from March 8 to 11 at Mingalar Mandalay Shopping Mall in Mandalay, the travel package is priced from $420 per person and includes return flights on SilkAir, a Singapore city tour, visits to top attractions favored by Myanmar travellers, free and easy shopping opportunities, as well as optional health check-ups.
