Roadshow to promote air travel from India to Myanmar
Kolkata: Yangon Aerodrome Company Ltd organised a one-day roadshow in Kolkata on Friday to attract more tourists from India and Bengal to Myanmar.
In recent times, the inflow of tourists from India to neighbouring Myanmar is on the rise with the Myanmar government granting visas-on-arrival to Indian passport holders.
"This roadshow is an important occasion for us to collaborate with our Indian counterparts and partners to develop more air routes so that more people can experience what Myanmar has to offer and vice-versa," said Jose Angeja chief operating officer at
Yangon Aerodrome Company Ltd.
According to May Myat Mon Win, chairperson of Myanmar Tourism Federation in the year 2018, altogether 40,000 tourists from India went to Myanmar and in the first five months of 2019 there has been an increase of more than 6 percent in the footfall of India tourists.
"We feel that the time is ripe to promote Myanmar. We are beginning with a roadshow in Kolkata and will be holding a rally to promote tourism in the month of November. We will be holding a roadshow in Mumbai in 2020," said Mon Win. About 58,000 tourists from Myanmar visited India in 2018.
Apart from classical destinations such as Yangoon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake, Myanmar Tourism Federation is also promoting nine new destinations that will enable tourists to delve deep into its hidden corners.
The new destinations are Mrauk U, Lokkaw, Putao, Hsipaw,
Mt. Victoria, Mergui Archipelago, Mogok, Hpaan and Kyaing Tong.
The participants attending the event agreed to work jointly to promote air connectivity.
The only Indian airline operating at Yangon International Airport is Air India, which operates three scheduled flight per week to and from New Delhi.
Air India is planning to increase its frequency of flights from India to Myanmar. It will start twice a week operation from Mumbai to Myanmar.
Yangon International Airport handled a total of 6.035 million passengers in 2018.