CNI News

1 November 2024

Almost all the hotel rooms in Taunggyi, Kalaw and Nyaung Shwe have been fully booked for the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing traditional balloon festival, a flagship one of Shan State, according to the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism. 

The festival will be held from 9th to 15th November and for the time being, 80 percent of all the hotel rooms have been fully booked, Director of the Ministry of Hotel and Tourism of Shan State, U Htin Aung Naing told CNI News.

" To the best of my knowledge, almost all the hotel rooms in Kalaw and Taunggyi have been fully booked. Hotel rooms are still a bit left in Inlay to lodge. Generally speaking, 80 percent of hotel rooms have been fully booked. Residents of Taunggyi and the people from around the city are crazy about the balloon festival. So, they will come to the festival, I hope. Moreover, I expect people from Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw will come to the festival because Taunggyi, Kalaw and Inlay regions are stable." he said.

During the festival, seven to nine balloons will be let off each day and over 60 at night and toy balloons in the daytime reportedly. 

While the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Balloon Festival was being held

Although the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Balloon Festival was held in 2023, those who came and visited the festival decreased. 

Because the festival will be held when there are no territorial stabilities and the commodity price is rising, criticisms have emerged.

" It's hard to say. local tourists who have decided to go to the festival will go there. Although Inlay is in a bad situation, some people will go there. Kalaw is trying to recover as well. But some people will go there. This year, the Phaung Daw Oo Pagoda Festival is not held, which is good. There was a flood disaster there. Although festivities are held like this, the people are not really happy because of the current situation." said U Thet Lwin Toe, a tourism service entrepreneur, to CNI News.

47 hotels in Taunggyi and 72 hotels in Kalaw have been all opened and among 110 hotels in Nyaung Shwe, 56 have been closed down.

All the hotel rooms of some hotels reportedly have been booked since 26th October for the Taunggyi Tazaungdaing Balloon Festival.