CNI News
30 August 2022
According to hotel operators in Bagan, in addition to the low number of tourist arrivals in the Bagan region at present, there is difficulty in opening hotels in Bagan Hotel Zone due to lack of regular electricity and rising fuel prices.
Tourist arrivals to Bagan are now only about a tenth of what they normally are. Hotels are now facing losses because of having to run generators due to irregular electricity, said U Zaw Wait, Bagan Zone Chairman of the Myanmar Hotel Industry Association to CNI News Agency.
“Even if you open it, you will lose for sure. If it is open. If it is open, there are no guests and so there’s no income. Even if two or three rooms become occupied, running the generator makes it a loss. It only takes 3 or 5 hours per power-cut when it happens sometimes. Now the electricity is being cut off twice a day and 4 or five hours every time. So, the power outage takes up about 10 to 12 hours of 24 hours a day. The big generators can produce 3 to 5 gallons per hour once fired up. It depends on the size. So one gallon of oil is up to 14,000. So, if the machine consumes 5 gallons per hour, the room fee is only around 3/4/50,000. If oil prices go down and the electricity is back to normal, we might reopen it,” he said.
While seeing a bird’s eye view of Bagan Hotel Zone and landscape
It is reported that hotels in Bagan have been closed since March 2020 due to the outbreak of Covid-19. It has been closed and currently only 64 of the 154 hotels can be opened.
Moreover, because the hotels have repairs to be made since they have been closed for more than 2 years, they cannot be opened in the meantime, said the hotel owners.
U Zaw Wait continued to say that in order for the closed hotels and currently opened hotels to run, it is necessary on the part of the national government to work to have regular electricity, to make the price of engine oil decrease and to improve security.
“The main support that the state needs to provide is No.1 to ensure regular electricity. Next, to make oil prices fall. Next to ensure good security. Then it is completed. If that’s the case, both foreigners and Burmese will enter definitely. As for the private sector, we are ready when a guest comes. All the 100 hotels will immediately get to work,” he said.
As for Bagan Division of the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, it is expected that domestic and foreign tourist arrivals may increase in October which is open season and many hotels are expected to open, said U Win Aung, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Tourism (Bagan Branch) to CNI News Agency.
“Our region has been visited by visitors ever since we opened including right now. There are more guests, especially on weekends and big days. Some of them come in big buses and some of them in private cars. Also, there are people who come in hi-jets in groups. That's why we expect that tourists will come during the open season. More hotels will be able to open. Locals can also get jobs and we hope that their socio-economic life will improve accordingly,” he said.
Then, in this period, due to the shortage of work and the decreasing influx of tourists, Bagan residents are reportedly facing declines in family economic income.
In the current period, due to various reasons, the tourist arrivals in Bagan - Nyaung Oo region will continue to be low. If it continues to be low until the next open season arrives, it will be difficult for hotels to continue opening, hotel operators said.
