OFFICIALS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT KAYAH STATE TOURISM PROSPECTS

Ethnic Padaung women walk past a church in Demoso
township in Kayah State in eastern Myanmar.
Photo: EPA

Tourism in Kayah State is booming and domestic travelers visiting the state increased by up to 97 percent while the number of foreign travelers rose by 41 pc last year compared with the previous year, according to the 2018 Kayah State Investment Opportunity Survey.

In 2014, just over 11,000 domestic travellers and 2600 foreign tourists visited the state. It jumped to 33,000 local visitors and nearly 9000 foreign tourists last year, data from the state Statistics Department showed.

The recent data is still low, but more Thai tourists are expected to visit Kayah once the border gate opens between Me-se and Khum Yuam in Mae Hong Son, Thailand, U Nay Moe Aung, managing director of 9 Generation Force, a Loikaw based travel and tours company, told The Myanmar Times.

“The four districts including Mae Hong Son that are connected to the border area with Kayah got seven million tourists last year. Most travellers went to ethnic minority villages that can be found on the Kayah side, too. That is why we hope to attract at least 50,000 to 100,000 tourists from Thailand when the border gate opens,” he said.

The Kayah government has opened community-based tourism in ethnic minority villages such as Hta Nee La Leh and Pan Pet in Dimawso township and Htay Kho and Daw Tama Gyi in Hpruso township.

Pan Pet and Hta Nee La Leh received the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Award 2017 at the 36th ASEAN Tourism Forum held in Singapore in January last year.

Recently the Kayah government tried to open the border gate between Me-se and Khum Yuam for travellers between the two countries who want to stay at least six nights and seven days in Myanmar, U Nay Moe Aung said.

The Department of Hotels and Tourism in Loikaw has been trying to get permission to open the border crossing since 2015, but the effort was delayed because the border areas have not yet been mapped and one armed ethnic group in the state has yet to sign the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.

Kayah has signed a border trade deal with Thailand but hasn’t signed the MoU on tourism, he said.

“The Kayah State minister is trying to sign the MoU with Thailand to open the border crossing for tourism. Loikaw is not too far from Inle Lake, where Thais like to go. Recently some people from Thailand came on friendship tours but they have to get permission from the Myanmar government one month ahead if they want to go through the border areas in Kayah,” U Nay Moe Aung said.

The survey also noted that the number of hotels and motels in the state rose to 18 with 384 rooms in 2017, up from eight with 175 rooms in 2014.

Another 15 hotels are being constructed throughout the state, including 13 with a total of 422 rooms in Loikaw district.

The government also re-opened some restricted areas in Kayah in 2017. Today foreign visitors can visit parts of Shardaw township as long they get permission from local authorities.

“Tourists cannot stay overnight at Pan Pet, Hta Nee La Leh, Daw Tama Gyi and Htay Kho villages, but they can visit Hpasawng and Bawlakhe without getting permission. Hotels are being built in these areas so tourists can stay overnight,” U Nay Moe Aung said.

Read full article at The Myanmar Times: https://www.mmtimes.com/news/officials-optimistic-about-kayah-state-tourism-prospects.html

http://www.mekongtourism.org/