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Myanmar is slowly emerging as a tourism destination in a region that is a favourite among travellers worldwide. It has a wealth of attractions to draw visitors from abroad, including Yangon’s Shwedagon Pagoda and many other diverse cultural and historical sites. One of the main challenges is developing the accompanying tourism infrastructure and ensuring an adequate skills base to keep pace with the sector’s growth. This has proved difficult in the past for some of Myanmar’s neighbours, and many wonder if the country has the foundations in place to do a better job of balancing growth with sustainability and conservation. This chapter contains interviews with Daw Moe Moe Lwin, Director, Yangon Heritage Trust; and Jean Michel Romon, Managing Director, Balloons over Bagan.

Stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Andaman Sea in the south, Myanmar’s diverse terrain offers a wealth of untapped mineral resources. Following the easing of international sanctions and major legal reforms, the authorities now have the opportunity to rehabilitate some of the mines that were neglected during the socialist period. Despite the risks, grey areas and bottlenecks, Myanmar’s mining sector holds significant investment potential. Given growing global demand for base metals, Myanmar has the chance to build on recent momentum in tin, tungsten and associated metal exploration. An uptick in surveying for these minerals could help to instigate broader economic growth and social development, provided the projects adopt best international practices and avoid the environmental mistakes of previous mining operations. This chapter contains an interview with U La Min Win, Managing Director, Valentis Services.

While it has gradually reaped the rewards of diversification efforts to end overreliance on rice, Myanmar’s agriculture sector is now at a crucial juncture. Although progress has been made, structural impediments continue to weigh on farming output. However, a new development strategy is expected to enhance sector monitoring, boost production, and improve the industry’s regional and global competitiveness. Investment in infrastructure and processing capacity has the potential to transform the nation into an exporter of higher-quality agricultural products that could open the door to more varied overseas markets, with trade diversification taking on increasing importance due to India’s new agriculture import quotas. This chapter contains interviews with U Win Aung, Chairman, Dagon Group of Companies; and Gerhard Hartzenberg, Managing Director, New Holland Agriculture.

Myanmar’s recent economic growth, low wages and favourable tax exemptions have spurred the arrival of international manufacturers. To support this trend, the government has enacted a range of policies to promote the development of special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial clusters. Manufacturing capacity is on the rise as a result, helping to diversify the economy away from its traditional reliance on agriculture. Maturing consumption patterns have likewise captured the attention of some of the world’s leading consumer brands, which now occupy retail shelves across the country. Real annual sales growth reached 4.3% between 2013 and 2015, higher than that of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. This chapter contains interviews with U Khin Maung Cho, Minister of Industry; Takeshi Minakata, Managing Director, Myanmar Brewery; and Daw Marlar Win, Chairperson, UMG Myanmar.

As the largest country in mainland South-east Asia, and sharing borders with around 40% of the world’s population, Myanmar holds enormous potential to become a regional transport and logistics hub. However, the country suffers from a notable infrastructure deficit. Although several major highway projects have been completed, much of the road network is in need of upgrades, while the national rail network, the largest in ASEAN by kilometres of track, continues to suffer from poor maintenance and underinvestment. With a sizeable amount of funding needed to close its infrastructure gap, officials are working with international lenders and bilateral partners to finance new transport projects. An increasing emphasis on public-private partnerships (PPPs) is offering additional opportunities to private and foreign investors. This chapter contains interviews with U Thant Sin Maung, Union Minister, Ministry of Transport and Communications; U Htun Myint Naing, Chairman, Asia World; and Chen Bo, General Manager, China Road and Bridge Corporation.

The construction sector in Myanmar has experienced some turbulence in recent years. Changes to the regulatory framework and budget deficits have had an impact on the construction of houses, while plans to upgrade the country’s infrastructure have faced economic and political constraints. Nonetheless, the government is determined to move forward with new regulations and secure funding for a series of major infrastructure projects, and players in the sector are generally optimistic about developments ahead in 2018. With the residential and office markets cooling, but the industrial and retail segments buoyant and exhibiting significant long-term growth potential, the period ahead poses both challenges and opportunities for Myanmar’s real estate sector. Establishing a clear regulatory framework is set to play a significant role in the market’s development. This chapter contains interviews with Roongrote Rangsiyopash, CEO and President, SCG; U Kyaw Kyaw Win, Chairman, New Star Light Group; and U Khin Maung Aye, Chairman, Lat War.