Burma/China
Best left untravelled
Even for Burma's miniscule tourism industry, 2008 was a particularly bad year. With the devastating Cyclone Nargis (in May) coming on the heels of the Saffron Revolution (the previous fall), and considering the bad press garnered by the junta's response to both events, it is hardly surprising the country suffered a 25 percent decrease in visitors over the previous year's levels.
This figure, however, only accounts for visitors arriving by air. It is estimated that over half of Burma's tourists enter by land, mainly from China and Thailand. And the generals are now allowing Chinese citizens crossing at Teng Chong, in Yunnan, to get visas on arrival. And, once they are across the frontier, in the border town of Myitkyina in Kachin state, the tourists can continue inland, something that was not allowed under the previous visa regime. Moreover, even those chartering flights from Teng Chong, as well as other select airports in China, will be granted visas on arrival along with permission to travel to a number of cities.
This limited easing of restrictions comes after the construction of the Myitkyina-Teng Chong highway was completed last November. The USD 180 million construction costs for the highway were borne entirely by Beijing, so the new allowances are clearly something of a quid pro quo. But the Chinese government has its eye set on much loftier goals than mere tourism, having made no secret of the fact that it ultimately sees the road as a means of strengthening trade links with Bangladesh and India. Of course, easy access to Burma's abundant natural resources must also be a great incentive.