Myanmar's hotels sprout up to accommodate increasing tourists

Myanmar's hotels are sprouting up across the nation to give adequate accomodation to the increasing number of tourists, sources with Myanmar Hoteliers Association said Wednesday.

A total of 340 hotels are operating across the nation in 2015, compared with 290 in 2014, according to U Tin Win, chairman of the Myanmar Hoteliers Association.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Myanmar will double to 10 million in 2016, U Tin Win said, adding that even after the general election finishes, the number of tourists will be rising.

"The number of tourists will probably rise from February up until Thingyan water festival period in April next year," he predicts.

Tourist arrival through Yangon International Airport recorded 759,181 in the first nine months of 2015, up 82,174 from 677,007 tourists in the same period of last year.

More than 800,000 tourists entered Myanmar by air, ship while more than 2.2 million tourists visited the country through border entrances and tourist arrival is highest in the Yangon, Mandalay, Inlay and Bagan hotel zones.

Meanwhile, the government has established 17 hotel zones in such areas as Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, Mandalay and Bago regions.

According to Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, Myanmar received 3.05 million tourists in 2014.

Myanmar attracted 2.64 billion U.S. dollars' foreign investment in the sector of hotels and tourism this year, up 1.5 billion USD from 2011's 1.14 billion USD. Endit