Nearly 1,400 hotels, guest houses operating in Myanmar

Shangri-La Hotel seen in Yangon.

THE number of hotels and guest houses up until the end of this April have reached 1,345 with 52,466 rooms across the country, according to official figures released by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.Since 2011 the ministry has been relaxing restrictions relating to the issuance of operating licences to both local and foreign investors in the hospitality industry in order to provide better services for international visitors.There are 338 hotels and guest houses with 16,218 rooms in Yangon, 176 hotels with 7,071 rooms in Mandalay, 63 hotels with 5,111 rooms in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, 32 hotels with 888 rooms in Taunggyi, 85 hotels with 2,621 rooms in Inlay and 81 hotels with 2,761 rooms in Bagan.Tour operators say that tourist arrivals are likely to increase this year as a master plan, designed to promote the sector, is being implemented by the ministry.The number of both local and international businesspeople wishing to operate service businesses in the county has also increased month by month.Last year’s tourist arrivals reached a total of 4.68 millions. That number is expected to be surpassed this year.The ministry has permitted 2,091 licences to tour companies, 536 tourist transport licences, 3939 tour guide licences and 2369 local tour guide licences. ML/Union Daily

Source : Global New Light of Myanmar