ACCORDING to the Myanmar Tourism Federation (MTF), domestic travel in Myanmar is expected to increase further in early 2025, following a surge in beachgoers and visitors to the Bagan region during December 2024.

Since November, the Taung­gyi Tazaungdine Hot-Air Balloon Festival has attracted domestic travellers to Shan State (South). Visitor numbers to beach des­tinations have risen steadily throughout the year, while the Bagan region has also experi­enced consistent monthly growth in tourist arrivals.

“In December, we saw more domestic visitors than anticipat­ed. Hotels have been fully booked since the start of the month, leav­ing no vacancies. December and January are set to witness a sig­nificant rise in travel activity. The beaches are busier than usual, and many hotels in Bagan are already fully booked. Addition­ally, there is strong interest in short trips to destinations like Kyaiktiyo and Hpa-an. Travel to Shan State’s Kalaw, Pindaya, and Taunggyi is also particularly pop­ular in December,” said an official from the MTF.

Meanwhile, the number of foreign visitors to Myanmar typically declines in December. During the 10 months, most in­ternational tourists came from Thailand, China, South Korea, Japan, India, and Vietnam, with 898,971 foreign arrivals reported. — ASH/MKKS