Hotels are sprouting across Myanmar to provide adequate accommodation to the increasing number of tourists across the country: Myanmar Hoteliers Association

Hotels are sprouting up across Myanmar to provide adequate accommodation to the increasing number of tourists, sources with the Myanmar Hoteliers Association said.

A total of 340 hotels are operating across the country 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 claimed, adding that after the general election finishes, the number of tourists will rise.

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

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

More than 800,000 tourists entered Myanmar by air and ship while more than 2.2 million tourists visited the country through border entrances. However, experts discount the number of arrivals via border gates as these mostly comprise day traders and expat visa-runners from Thailand and don’t technically fall under the category of tourist.

Most tourist arrivals are in Yangon, Mandalay, Inlay and Bagan and the government has established 17 hotel zones in Naypyitaw, Yangon, Mandalay and Bago regions.

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

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