Myanmar received 530,973 foreign visitors during the first half of 2026, a modest increase from 500,125 in the same period a year earlier, according to figures from the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture. The improvement offers a rare positive data point for a tourism industry battered by the pandemic, military rule, civil conflict and the March 2025 earthquake. Yet it does not amount to a conventional recovery. Arrivals remain a fraction of the 4.36 million recorded in 2019, while large sections of the country are beyond the reach of mainstream tour operations.

For airlines, hotel operators and destination management companies, Myanmar in 2026 is two markets moving in opposite directions. The government is issuing visas, promoting cultural attractions and seeking visitors from neighbouring countries. At the same time, the security environment is deteriorating in several regions, Western travel warnings remain severe and insurance exclusions can make otherwise viable bookings commercially untenable.

Regional visitors underpin the increase

The first-half figures build on the 360,000 arrivals recorded between January and April. Demand is concentrated in nearby Asian markets rather than the long-haul European and North American segments that once sustained Myanmar’s higher-value touring circuits. China, Thailand and South Korea remain important sources of visitors, alongside cross-border business traffic, family travel and Buddhist pilgrimage.

That market mix carries different economics. Regional visitors tend to travel for shorter periods, book closer to departure and spend differently from long-haul cultural tourists taking multi-stop itineraries through Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake. The visitor count may be edging upwards, but the recovery in tourism income is likely to be less pronounced than the headline arrival numbers suggest.

Myanmar received 973,263 international visitors in 2025, compared with roughly 1.06 million in 2024, according to industry reporting based on official figures. The decline was linked partly to weaker arrivals through land borders. The government is targeting 1.8 million visitors in 2026, a goal that would require a considerably stronger second half of the year.

The visa door remains open

Myanmar’s visa system is functioning, and entry procedures present fewer obstacles than the security environment surrounding them. The country’s official eVisa portal continues to accept applications for tourism and business travel. A standard tourist eVisa costs US$50 and permits a stay of up to 28 days. Applicants need a passport with at least six months’ validity, a recent photograph, a copy of the passport information page and proof of onward or return travel.

The approval letter must be used within its stated validity period, and eVisa holders may enter only through designated airports and border checkpoints. Myanmar’s immigration authorities advise applicants to use the government portal rather than unofficial visa intermediaries.

For business travel, visa access does not remove the need for a detailed risk assessment. Companies should confirm the status of the proposed entry point, domestic transport, accommodation and meeting location immediately before departure. Conditions can change after a visa has been issued. That distinction matters: permission to enter is not an assurance that a journey can be completed safely or insured adequately.

Government advisories remain the decisive constraint

The US Department of State places Burma, the name it uses for Myanmar, at Level 4: Do Not Travel. Its advisory, issued on May 8, 2026, cites armed conflict, civil unrest, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, inadequate healthcare, crime, landmines and unexploded ordnance.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office takes a regional approach, but its warnings cover much of the country. It advises against all travel to several border states and conflict-affected regions, including Kachin, Chin, Kayah, Kayin, Rakhine, Sagaing and northern Shan.

Warnings also extend to Magway, northern Mandalay, Mon State and parts of Bago and Tanintharyi. Even in areas where the FCDO does not advise against all travel, the position can change at short notice. Its guidance warns that travellers may be caught in armed clashes, crossfire or air strikes, and that travel insurance could be invalidated when a journey is undertaken against official advice.

The conflict is not confined to distant border areas. Reuters reported in July that military attacks on civilians had intensified during the first half of 2026, citing research by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. The report described air strikes and mass-casualty incidents across central Myanmar, even as the military-backed government pursued renewed diplomatic engagement with neighbouring countries.

Insurance is becoming the commercial fault line

For the international travel trade, the practical barrier is often not the availability of flights or hotel rooms, but the absence of comprehensive insurance. Policies may exclude destinations under government “do not travel” warnings or remove cover for incidents arising from armed conflict, civil disorder and political evacuation. Medical evacuation can be particularly difficult to secure, while local health facilities may lack the equipment or capacity to handle severe injuries and complex emergencies.

Tour operators selling Myanmar need written confirmation of coverage rather than a general assurance from the traveller. Corporate travel managers face the same obligation, alongside duty-of-care requirements and internal approval processes. Vetted ground partners, live security monitoring and flexible cancellation terms are no longer optional safeguards. They are part of the cost of operating.

A specialist market, not a comeback story

Myanmar still holds considerable appeal: the temples of Bagan, Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda, the waterways of Inle Lake and a cultural heritage that once made the country one of Southeast Asia’s most anticipated emerging destinations. Those assets have not changed. The conditions around them have.

The rise in arrivals during the first half of 2026 shows that regional movement continues and that parts of the tourism economy remain active. It does not signal a return to mass-market touring or the rebuilding of Myanmar’s former long-haul visitor base.

For now, the opportunity belongs largely to regional carriers, specialist agencies and operators prepared to manage volatile conditions. Broader recovery will depend less on promotional campaigns or easier visas than on developments outside the tourism ministry’s control: reduced fighting, dependable transport links, insurable itineraries and a meaningful easing of international travel warnings.

Until those conditions emerge, Myanmar will remain open on paper—and severely restricted in practice.