Colliers International has called on the Myanmar Government to "reshape" the country's tourism reputation to attract more western visitors. 

It comes after The Irrawaddy reported a 38 per cent increase in Chinese arrivals to Myanmar in 2018 from the previous year.

Colliers said while the figure was encouraging, more needed to be done to promote western tourism.

"While we remain optimistic that Asian tourist arrivals will further surge, Colliers believes that it is equally crucial that the government still initiate strategies intended for the revival of Westerners’ confidence, as travelers from this market source generate higher tourism sales receipts compared to Asian visitors," it said.

"Commencing rigorous campaigns targeted towards the reshaping of the country’s tourism reputation should support this endeavor."

 The Irrawaddy reported that in 2018, Myanmar received 297,400 Chinese travelers through airports and sea ports, making them the most common visitors to the country.

According to the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, there was a 50 percent decline in the number of travelers from western countries in 2018 compared to previous years.

Joint secretary of the union, U Thet Khaing, told The Irrawaddy the decline had been hurting the country's tour companies.

"Travellers from Europe tend to stay two to three weeks in Myanmar, while Asian travelers only stay a maximum of one week," he said.

"Their spending power is different, which is why there has been a sharp decline in revenues."

Sources: Colliers International, The Irrawaddy.

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