Not so long ago it was on every hot destination list. Now Avalon Waterways says cruising the Irrawaddy in Myanmar has lost its lustre, and they are taking the extraordinary step of pulling out next year.

Dwindling sales forced Avalon to pull out of Myanmar and cancel its 2019 cruises on the Irrawaddy. Avalon blamed waning interest particularly from overseas travellers. But it will continue to operate the cruises this year.

The company entered the market three years ago when tourism to Myanmar was booming. “This decision is not based on safety or security issues…interest among travellers to Myanmar for 2019 has waned,” said Avalon.

APT, on the other hand, has seen steady growth in its Myanmar itineraries with only a “limited number of cabins” available on its 2018-19 season.

“Australians are the biggest market for APT Myanmar. There are only limited cabins left for the 2018-19 season,” an APT spokesperson said.

When APT launched its 2019-20 brochure for Myanmar last week, it offered free flights on all Myanmar itineraries, provided they are booked before 31 October.

One of APT’s highlights for next year’s Myanmar cruises is an exclusive culinary journey with celebrity chef Luke Nguyen on board the luxury RV Samantha.

“This is an authentic look at the region’s produce and cooking techniques through Luke Nguyen’s eyes,’’ said APT.

APT has been cruising to Myanmar for the last four years.

Pandaw has seen a “slight decrease from some markets” in its Myanmar cruises – but not the “significant drop that other companies have recently experienced.

Pandaw will remain in the market. “The Australian market is still demanding the adventure journeys that Pandaw provides,” said Marco Rosa, vice president, sales and marketing.

Pandaw recently announced a new itinerary on Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago with a 10-night coastal voyage departing from Yangon.

Bicton Travel in Perth confirmed a “drop in enquiry for Irrawaddy and Asia river cruising in general.
“The news around the Rohingya did raise questions about travelling to the region but we had already seen a steady slow down for some time prior,” said Barry Downs, sales and marketing manager for Bicton.

He said that Europe remains the most popular region for river cruising with many Australians returning for second and third cruises.

Viking used to charter ships offering a 15-day river cruise in Myanmar and Thailand but has discontinued the itinerary last year.

“We discontinued this itinerary as we used to charter ships for it – whereas almost all of our ships are Viking owned, and this provides a range of benefits for us, including greater control over our guests experience. We also found that due to the nature of the docks and ships there, it was more difficult for our guests to embark and disembark the ship comfortably,” a Viking spokesperson said.