A puppeteer in Myanmar’s Bagan has turned to motorcycle trading after performances stopped supporting his family, CNA reported, as he described a visitor mix dominated by domestic pilgrims.
CNA reported that Thuwunna Aung learned marionette puppetry from his father and spent years performing for visitors. He said the work no longer brings in enough to support his household. “Foreign tourists are very scarce now,” he told CNA, adding that most visitors he sees are domestic pilgrims. CNA also reported that his wife opened a snack shop.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Information reported 457,956 domestic tourists in Bagan from Jan. 1 to Dec. 25, 2023. In a separate count covering Jan. 1 to Nov. 19, 2024, it reported 410,122 local and foreign visitors: 397,329 local travelers and 12,793 tourists. The periods and categories differ, so the figures are not a direct year-over-year comparison.
The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism recorded 1,063,072 international arrivals nationwide in 2024, down 17% from 2023. That figure covers all of Myanmar, not Bagan alone.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee inscribed Bagan in 2019. UNESCO describes the site as eight components with 3,595 recorded monuments, alongside continuing religious and cultural practices and farming. CNA reported that tourism pressures weigh on artisans’ livelihoods and the continuation of traditions.
CNA described several shocks to the tourism outlook. International travel stopped during the pandemic in 2020, after Bagan’s UNESCO listing had raised hopes for growth; Myanmar’s February 2021 military coup and ensuing conflict added further pressure, the outlet reported.
