CNI News
21 Oct 2022
A three-year project will be implemented to transform Kalaw in Shan State (South) into a resort town for domestic and foreign tourists, Shan State Directorate of Hotels and Tourism told the CNI.
When the SAC chairman gave guidance to implement the project on his visit to the town, Deputy Director U Sithu Kyaw of Shan State Directorate of Hotels and Tourism told the CNI.
He added that a master plan is being developed to implement the project.
He said, “We are developing a master plan first because it is important to have a master plan to implement a tour destination between 2023 and 2025. We will upgrade the Mawmyay Park in 2022-2023 fiscal year. Them, we will build Shan brother and sister statue near the archway of the town. We will also set up an LED board to display the attractions of the town and street light poles. Kalaw is popular among domestic tourists and it is located at the entrance to Shan State. The weather is pleasant. The town is shrouded by a tourism atmosphere. The town has been popular among foreign tourists for a long time. We will have to wait for them to come back.”
The master plan has been developed for the 2022-2023 fiscal year and MMK 1 billion has been allocated for the project, which will be implemented until 2025, to transform the town into a resort.
A hotel in Kalaw.
Master plans for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years will be developed in negotiation with locals and relevant organizations.
Kalaw is a popular destination among tourists and more will visit the town when it has been transformed into a resort. A night market should also be built and rules and regulations should be enforced, an official from a hotel in Kalaw told the CNI.
He said, “Kalaw is popular among tourists because its natural environment is still intact. It is a mountain resort and its ecosystems are still pristine. It is important to implement disciplines. It is necessary to launch awareness-raising campaigns not to drop litter, which will destroy the beauty of the town. Relevant government departments must provide dustbins. Another problem is traffic and parking. There are many attractions in Kalaw. There are traffic jams on roads to famous attractions. Information centres must be established. If shops can follow disciplines, the town will be more pleasant.”
As the Tazaungdaing festival is around the corner, hotel rooms in Kalaw are being booked, according to the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.
During the Thadingyut Festival, hotels in the town were fully booked and the town was visited by 600 tourists on 7th October, 3,000 tourists on 8th and 9th October and 1,500 tourists on 10th October, according to statistics of the directorate.
