Tourist arrivals on track to hit 3 million, minister says
Play
Tourist arrivals are on track to rise 50 per cent over last year's record-breaking 2 million figure, with the number of arrivals this year reaching 2.1 million as of the end of September, Minister for Hotels and Tourism Htay Aung said at the opening cere
The minister was optimistic that the target of 3 million would be reached because the October to December period sees tourism arrivals jump as the monsoon season ends in September.
The sector has seen a record-breaking number of arrivals for the past two years, following the reforms introduced by the administration of President Thein Sein and an increase in the number of airlines adding routes to Yangon and Mandalay.
If the growth rate continues the need for more hotel rooms will also continue to rise, Htay Aung said, adding that arrivals to Nay Pyi Taw had surged this year as Myanmar chairs Asean for the first time.
"The number of tourists visiting Nay Pyi Taw by air was 62,126 between January and October 14,” Htay Aung said, adding that this represented a 28 per cent rise over the same period last year.
Hotel rates in Myanmar, however, remain among the highest in the region due to the surge in demand and lack of supply, with some tourists – and travel associations – saying price gouging is rampant.
Some hoteliers are calling on the government to fast track approvals for hotel construction to ensure supply meets demand, and that price gouging is constrained by increased competition.
