Amid economic pain, Myanmar authorities to reopen borders to tourists

The Myanmar authorities will allow tourists to apply for visas after a break of more than two years, state media said yesterday, sparking calls by an activist group for foreign travellers to stay away.

The country closed its borders to visitors in March 2020 at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in an attempt to prevent infections rising.

It was further isolated after the army toppled the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, prompting huge protests.

"With an aim to develop the tourism sector... e-visa (Tourist) applications will be allowed and accepted from 15 May 2022," said a notice in the Global New Light of Myanmar.

It did not give details on when the first visitors could be expected to arrive.

After democracy was established in 2011 following decades of military rule, Myanmar opened up to tourists, becoming popular with travellers seeking an exotic destination away from the well-trodden backpacker haunts of Southeast Asia.

But the tourism sector was battered by the pandemic, with the country registering 40,000 daily COVID-19 cases at its peak last year. It has recorded almost 20,000 deaths in total.

The economy has slumped, with the local kyat currency plunging against the dollar and rolling power outages in major cities aggravating economic misery.

Access to ATMS and foreign exchange counters is patchy even in commercial hub Yangon.

Commercial flights for business travellers resumed in April, with visitors required to take a COVID-19 test on arrival but no longer required to quarantine.