CNI News
1 Oct 2022
Charter bus bookings have increased as people are planning to travel during the Thadingyut Holiday, charter bus services and tour operators told the CNI.
Chairman U Naung Naung Han of Myanmar Tourism Entrepreneurs Association told the CNI, “Booking has been full for some days. Families have hired four or five seaters’ vehicles while some have rented 10 and 15 seaters. Some companies are hiring 33 or 55 seaters to travel in groups. So, domestic tourism, which faced slowdown in August and September, has revived relatively. And Myanmar people rarely travel during the rainy season because the rain disrupted tourism. However, the number of travelers is still low compared to the normal levels. Only 10 percent of people travel in the rainy season.”
Similarly, the number of people who are seeking information about charter flights is also increasing.
Most people who have booked for charter buses are heading to pilgrim and beach destinations, tour operators told the CNI.
Express buses from the GI group. (GI Group)
An official from the Shwe Ye Su Wai tour services said, “Most booked for 45-seater buses to PyinOoLwin, Bagan, Taunggyi, Inlay and Kalaw. They are not travelling to remote areas because of the deteriorating political situation. However, it is relatively better than the situation in the past but it has not returned to normal.
Currently, four- or five-seater vehicles and charter buses are mostly hired by passengers, tour operators told the CNI.
Rental fees range depending on models of vehicles and destinations.
Ko Wai Yan Htet of Waiyanhtet Travel in Mandalay told the CNI, “The number of travellers has increased. We charge them MMK 150,000 per charter bus from Yangon to Nay Pyi Taw. We charge MMK 220,000 for travel from Yangon to Mandalay. Travellers are required to bring their citizenship identity cards with them. Even if they don’t have citizenship cards, we provide services if they can provide household registrations and recommendations from wards and police stations. We have our own drivers. We do not accept bookings for our cars without our drivers,”
The tour industry has come to a grinding halt due to the pandemic and the coup but it has revived since April.
As the dry season starts in October and tour operators expect that the number of travellers will increase during the holidays including Thidingyut,Tazaungdaing, Christmas and new year holidays.
