Hilton looks at more growth in Myanmar

“We have hotel projects in Mandalay, Bagan and Inle Lake,” Helen Jacobe, general manager of the Hilton Nay Pyi Taw and Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa,” said yesterday.
“We continue to explore new opportunities to grow our footprint in Myanmar.”
Tourism has been a key contributor of foreign income.
The Hotels and Tourism Ministry targets 5.5 million visitors this year and more than 7.8 million in each of the next three years.
Last year, Myanmar welcomed 4.68 million tourists spending more than US$2.12 billion (Bt74 billion).
Hilton Nay Pyi Taw was opened in 2014 as the first of six properties in the pipeline. All the properties are owned by Eden Group Co, a local company.
Hilton has two properties in the country, offering 202 rooms in Nay Pyi Taw and 51 rooms in Ngapali Beach.
Despite reports that hotel room rates are being reduced, Jacobe is pretty satisfied with the performance of both properties.
During the high season, Ngapali enjoys very high occupancy and is fully booked during peak periods.
Nay Pyi Taw is primarily event-driven, yielding a high occupancy rate when big conferences are held and international delegations visit there.
Hilton has experienced an increase in embassy traffic to Nay Pyi Taw since the new government took office.
Hilton will continue to leverage the strength of its brand and commercial engine in order to become a leader in Myanmar’s hotel business.
The nation’s hospitality industry is still at the fledgling stage.
“It is not yet comparable to other Asean countries that have more developed tourism sectors but Myanmar is truly a gem,” she said.
The industry should do more work and collaborate on destination development, diversification and enrichment so that Myanmar can unleash its incredible potential as a travel destination.
Recently, Zin Maw Win and two |bartenders from Hilton Nay Pyi Taw brought home four silver medals from the Asian Food Festival and Battle of the Chefs which was held in Penang, Malaysia.
In the Western fine-dining category, he and Zwel Mahn Oo and Naing Lin Aung teamed up with Le Planteur chef Zin Myo New and barman Kyaw Kyaw to create a stellar five-course menu for 13 people within four hours.