Cruise ship arrivals in Myanmar set to rise

Jun 5, 2011, 4:43 GMT

Yangon - International cruise ship operators are slowly rediscovering Myanmar, with nine ships expected to dock at Yangon in 2011-12, up from six the previous year, the Myanmar Times reported on Sunday.

Tourism boycotts and economic sanctions aimed at a repressive military government had hobbled the tourism in the past, but industry officials expressed optimism about the future, particularly in the cruise ship category.

'Passenger numbers will rise to some extent but we are expecting one mega cruise liner with somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 passengers and crew members. Their eyes and mouths will act to promote a positive image of Myanmar to other travelers,' U Thet Lwin Toh, managing director of Myanmar Voyages Travel and Tour Company, was quoted as saying.

He said his company would receive five of the nine cruise liners due to dock during the 2011-12 financial year, which runs from April 1 to March 30.

Myanmar Voyages is one of four companies - also including Destination Asia (Tour Mandalay), Diethelm Travel and Sunbird Tours - that arrange local services for international cruise liners that visit Myanmar.

A spokesperson for Diethelm Travel said the company had received Germany-based MV Columbus with 300 passengers in April, and would receive a call from German cruise liner MS Europa in March 2012.