CNI News

29 Dec 2022

As the number of guests in Chaungtha and Ngwe Saung beaches in Ayeyarwady Region, the hotel industry has resumed 95 its operations, according to the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.

Hotels and guesthouses have been almost fully booked for the new year holidays there.

So far, 29 out of 33 hotels and guesthouses there have been reopened and they have been almost fully booked, an official from the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism (Chaungtha Branch) told the CNI.

Scenes of a beach.

He told the CNI, "The hotel industry has returned to normal. Beaches are crowded with holiday makers. There are 33 hotels and guesthouses in Chaungtha. A total of 29 out of 33 of them have reopened after the third wave of COVID-19. The remaining four have not reopened since their closures during the first outbreak of COVID-19. So, 95 percent of the industry has resumed their operations."

During one month until 27th December, 32,192 domestic travellers and 224 foreign tourists visited Chaungtha beach.

In Ayeyarwady Region, there are 35 hotels in Ngwe Saung and 39 hotels in Chaungtha and Shwe Thaungyan. Some hotels that were closed during the pandemic are still under renovation, according to hoteliers in Chaungtha.

Although the hotel industry in Chaungtha and Ngwe Saung, only 52 hotels in beaches in Rakhine State have resumed their services, Director U Tin Tun Aung of the Rakhine State Directorate of Hotels and Tourism told the CNI.

Hotels near a beach.

He said, "Fifty-two out of 65 hotels in Thandwe have reopened. In the entire Rakhine State there are 102 hotels but only 82 of them have reopened. Some people are still afraid to travel. Moreover, they have to take flights to get to Rakhine State. We will receive as many guests as during the Thadingyut but fewer travellers than Thingyan will come to Rakhine State because the holiday is short.

As the hotel industry that was closed in the previous two years due to COVID-19 and the political crises has resumed, nearly 500 people have received jobs.