Buzz
Travelers from all over the world are flocking to Myanmar.
According to projections by the country's tourism industry, the number of tourists in 2013 will increase by 150%, reaching approximately 1.5 million foreigners. However, the tourism infrastructure is severely lacking.
Just back from a nearly 10-day journey exploring famous tourist spots in Myanmar, Mr. Quoc Anh (44 years old, from Hanoi) vividly remembers the scorching afternoon when his family and friends wandered around Nyaung Shwe searching for a hotel room. After more than three hours of visiting various accommodation options, he reluctantly settled for a room at a resort on the Inle Lake when the sky had turned pitch dark.
A Doubling in Prices in One Year
'After a costly taxi ride from Heho airport to Nyaung Shwe, by nightfall, my friend and I managed to secure the last two rooms available by the Inle Lake, as the town was completely booked out. It's really hard to find accommodation, and it's expensive,' added Mr. Quoc Anh. 'If anyone refers to the latest edition of Lonely Planet's travel guide (the world's largest independent travel publisher) for Myanmar published at the end of 2011, they will see that the prices for most tourism services have doubled'.
Sensing the sweltering heat of both weather and the influx of people pouring into Myanmar's remaining edge of Asia these days can be keenly felt. Mu Kyi, the owner of A Tun travel agency in the town of Nyaung Shwe (eastern Myanmar), the focal point of tourists seeking shelter for their boat trip on the famous Inle Lake, expressed with utter surprise: 'It's now the peak end of the season, and the weather is starting to heat up. Yet somehow, tourists keep pouring in. My Inle Lake boat operators are running at full capacity all day long. Everything has changed drastically in just under a year'.
A representative from a major travel company in Vietnam mentioned: 'Tourists visiting Myanmar have increased by about 38% compared to 2011. Group travelers come here for pilgrimage and business promotion, which shows promising development'.
67% Growth
Statistics from the Myanmar Ministry of Tourism and Hotels show that the tourism revenue for the past year has recorded a record growth of 67%, reaching $534 million, compared to $319 million earned in 2011.
Around 1,500 tourists visit the Nyaung Shwe town and Inle Lake area daily. Meanwhile, there are 1,200 available rooms in 45 hotels and guesthouses. In another tourist hotspot, Bagan, there are approximately 600 – 1,000 tourists flocking in every day. With 80 hotels offering 2,500 rooms in the area, the lodging service industry seems capable of 'holding out.' Han Soe, a Myanmar tour guide, shared with the writer that many 'indie' (non-tour group) tourists have had to find accommodations in some restaurants and monasteries because they couldn't book hotel rooms.
'At midnight, myself and two friends wandered aimlessly in Nyaung U (a town near Bagan) like zombies, only hoping to find a bed to rest our 20 kg backpacks and weary backs. The response from all the hotels and guesthouses we approached was 'No vacancy,' 'No prior booking, no room'. Eventually, our group found a rundown hostel, and the kind owner allowed us to crash on the waiting room sofa until morning,' recounted Yvonne (40 years old), an Irish journalist, whose harrowing experience is a typical example for any foreigner visiting Myanmar amidst this tourism frenzy.
According to Myanmar's tourism forecast, the number of tourists flocking to this country in 2013 is expected to skyrocket by 150% to around 1.5 million foreigners. The alarming issue is the severe lack of tourism infrastructure. Statistics show there are currently about 28,291 hotel rooms nationwide. This number is modest compared to neighboring Thailand, as just the capital Bangkok alone boasts over 42,000 hotel rooms. 'We had to settle for a three-star hotel priced at nearly $70 per double room, which is only worth $20 at best', lamented Mr. Zbyszek and his Finnish wife about the hotel room they were staying in Mandalay city.
Living on 21,000 dong per day
12-year-old Ma Or sits quietly by the loom in a corner of Inn Shwe Pyi shop on Inle Lake. Along with 15-year-old Mu Than and 51-year-old Mu Line, they are the attraction for tourists visiting to witness Myanmar women wearing long necklaces down to their chins. Accepting a life away from home in Kayah state, Ma Or comes to Inle Lake to weave cloth and chat with tourists. 'Every month, the boss pays me 30,000 kyats (about $33). That's over 1 USD per day (21,000 dong). If I finish a scarf, I get paid a little more. It takes about two and a half days to finish a new scarf. If tourists don't buy scarves, they usually tip us after taking photos'.
Ma Or is just one small example among many Myanmar people joining the 'tourism' workforce while still living in poverty, despite the influx of foreign tourists pouring into the country like a flood. Ko Lyin (53), a boatman, confided to the writer that for every boat tour booked at a travel agency, he receives 3,000 kyats (about $3.3) for about 10 hours of tour guiding, while the agency pockets 4,000 kyats. 'During the peak season, there are tourists every day. But in the hot season, it's lucky to get one tour', Ko Lyin said.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports that 1 in 4 Myanmar citizens is poor. In 2011, the average income per capita in Myanmar was $857, compared to $900 in Cambodia and $1,411 in Vietnam. Along with Myanmar's recent booming open-door policies, many global economic organizations assess and expect this country as a rising star in Asia. ADB even optimistically projects that from now until 2030, Myanmar will transform from one of the poorest countries on the continent to a middle-income country. And tourism will be one of the important sectors contributing to economic growth as well as poverty reduction in this country.
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Source: Travel Guide by Mytour – Author: Thanh niên.
MytourOctober 15, 2015
