SINGAPORE has emerged as the top destination that Myanmar travellers want to visit, with shopping, sightseeing and experiencing different cuisines being the main motivations.
According to a survey by MasterCard Worldwide, the city-state trounced popular destinations such as New York, Bangkok, Seoul and Paris to take the crown.
The survey was based on interviews conducted with 411 residents with bank accounts in Yangon and Mandalay between December 2012 and January 2013.
MasterCard also reported that although less than one in five Myanmar residents had travelled abroad for leisure in the last 12 months, an overwhelming majority of people who did travel intend to do so again over the next one year.
Within Myanmar, 73 per cent of respondents had travelled domestically over the last 12 months. Top local destinations were Taunggyi, Mandalay and Pathein.
Four out of five of those who had travelled domestically plan to do so again over the course of the next year.
The survey stated that Myanmar’s travellers spend an average of 200,000 kyats (US$230) per person on domestic holidays. For international holidays, the amount was six times higher.
Consumers in the South-east Asian country reported high levels of optimism when it came to consumer confidence, according to the latest MasterCard Index of Consumer Confidence.
Myanmar’s liberalising economy has seen inbound tourist numbers shoot past one million in 2012 and arrivals are expected to grow another 30 per cent in 2013 (TTG Asia e-Daily, January 25, 2013).
