Bagan Struggles Amid Myanmar’s Civil Unrest and Declining Tourism

via AP/ The Irrawaddy, 12 July 2024: The ancient city of Bagan is facing economic hardship as Myanmar’s civil conflict deters tourists. Once a popular travel destination, Bagan now sees shuttered businesses and job losses among locals, with visitor numbers drastically reduced since the 2021 military coup. Despite efforts to attract international tourists, the ongoing unrest continues to impact the local economy.

In the year following the coup around 200,000 international visitors came to Myanmar, according to figures from the junta’s tourism ministry.

Five years earlier the figure was 3.4 million.

The 50-square-kilometer site is also strewn with stupas, temples, murals and sculptures, some of which date back to the 11th to 13th centuries.

But many hotels and restaurants are shuttered, and guides and vendors are out of work.

Source: Myanmar’s Temple City Pines for Tourists as Conflict Rages