by Feng Yingqiu

YANGON, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities started issuing visa-on-arrival Friday at the Yangon International Airport, aimed at facilitating foreign businessmen and tourists to enter the country smoothly for investment and tourism purposes.

The visa-on-arrival is being issued in three categories to those visiting Myanmar on business, transit and as a tourist from 25 countries and one region, namely nine other ASEAN member countries, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain and the United States as well as Taiwan region.

Business visa will be allowed for 70 days by paying 50 U.S. dollars, while tourist visa for 28 days with 40 U.S. dollars and transit visa for 24 hours with 20 U.S. dollars.

Visa-on-arrival was once halted in September 2010 ahead of then Myanmar's general election in November of the year.

According to official statistics, Myanmar attracted 8.464 billion U.S. dollars' foreign investment in 2011.

Total foreign investment in Myanmar hit 40.429 billion U.S. dollars in 458 projects as of January 2012 since the country opened to such investment in late 1988.

Meanwhile, a bill on the amendment of the over-two-decade-long foreign investment law is to be touched upon in the next parliament session due in June-July in the process of Myanmar's economic reform.

As for Myanmar's tourism industry, the government is also encouraging foreign investment in the sector.

According to figures, the number of tourists arrival at Myanmar 's Yangon International Airport alone reached 359,359 in 2011 which is expected to reach 1.5 million in 2012.

Statistics also show that such arrival at all entry points totaled over 800,000 in 2011, up more than 24,000 or 3 percent from over 790,000 in 2010.

The figures for the first two months of 2012 represented 98,486 who came mainly from North America, West Europe, East Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, according to the Myanmar Tourism Promotion Board.

There is a total of 739 hotels in Myanmar including 22 foreign invested hotels, four joint-venture hotels, six government hotels and 707 private-owned ones.

Myanmar earned 319 million U.S. dollars in 2011 from hotel and tourism sector, up 26 percent from 254 million U.S. dollars in 2010.

Meanwhile, Myanmar will rejoin the World Tourism Organization ( UNWTO) soon in a bid to promote the development of tourism sector.

The Myanmar Tourism Federation is raising fund to develop the sector at home and abroad, establishing training centers, preserving tourist sites, exploring new ones and participating in international travel shows.

By inducing more foreign investment in the hotels and tourism sector, it is expected that more job opportunities for the local people will be created.

The government is also expected to launch more than 50 hotels across the country over the next two years.