Posts in category: HOTEL & TOURISM

The Yangon International Airport will resume admission to international flights on 17 April, Myanmar New Year Day and Myanmar Airways International will extend domestic and foreign flights. MAI will run Malaysia, Singapore and Bangkok flights once a day while thrice a day to Guangzhou (China) and Incheon (South Korea), once a week to India, Dubai of UAE and Japan and twice a week to Phuket (Thailand) and Penang (Malaysia) and also operate Mandalay-Bangkok route.

It also plans to operate New Delhi (India), Dubai and Japan flights thrice every week. “MAI provided flight operations keeping in line with the rules of transportation. It has been running for 27 years since 1993 and will keep cooperating in the country’s development sector when world tourism comes alive again in Myanmar. We will run local routes as the Kalay airport is opened. ‘We will run to 18 local airports.

After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic for two years, we will provide services as per the rules and regulations of WHO when the world tourism industry is revised. The MAI welcomes the tourists,” said U Kyaw Soe Hla, Chief Operating Officer of MAI. During the Thingyan period, MAI will run to 18 domestic airports in addition to Thandwe, Sittway, Kyaukpyu, Mandalay, Myitkyina, Putao, Kengtung, Tachilek, Myeik, Kawthoung, Nay Pyi Taw and Lashio. The MAI will resume local and foreign flight operations following the COVID-19 health rules of the Ministry of Health. 

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Passengers travelling to Singapore from Myanmar can now use the ZADA COVIDPASS to share their vaccination records on arrival at the immigration checkpoints at Changi Airport. They are very proud that COVIDPASS holders in Myanmar now can use the COVIDPASS as a vaccination proof when entering Singapore, giving travellers from Myanmar complete confidence that their data is secure and under their control, said Andreas Sigurdsson, ZADA Founder & CEO.

The COVIDPASS is managed in the ZADA digital wallet and can only be issued by accredited vaccination centres such as Pun Hlaing Hospitals in Yangon. Digital health certificates such as COVIDPASS are becoming a key feature of international air travel, and decentralized solutions like ZADA are a more secure and efficient way to manage them.

The Chief Commercial Officer at MAI, the first Airline in Myanmar to verify the COVIDPASS for travel, shared, MAI is delighted to collaborate with COVIDPASS as they strive to improve the overall travel experience of their passengers during these challenging times. They hope this addresses the need to digitalize vaccine passports and streamline sharing of sensitive information.

ZADA is seeing growing success with the COVIDPASS credential, and in the last eight months since going live in Myanmar, over 100,000 certificates have been issued, multiple partners have joined the network, and the unique experiences of running a Decentralized Identity Network have been shared through forums in both Europe, Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Yepokegyi Village in Pwintbyu Township, Magway Region, has become famous for its children who preserve the traditional San-yit-wine hairstyle (a style of hairdo with a top knot and a circular fringe). Children in this village, both boys and girls, traditionally keeps this hairstyle from five years of age until they become fifteen or sixteen.

The name “Yepokegyi” is derived from “Yezalokegyi” which refers to the lake in the form of a bird’s crop located on the east side of the village. The village is eight miles from Shauktaw Village and can be accessed within a 25-minute drive from Pwintbyu. Despite the improved village roads, expansion of schools and the rising standard of living, children are retaining their cultural heritage, the hairdo, which are attracting more and more tourists.

The village is now home to more than 700 residents with the San-yit-wine hairstyle out of the 3,400 total population, according to U Lu Win, the village administrator. The elders of the village said that this traditional hairdo has been kept in Yepokegyi village for about 200 years. Due to the beauty of the lake, the village monastery, smooth roads, young women fetching water and weaving, it is going to be a tourist destination for photographers, painters and tourists who are looking for this kind of cultural characteristics. 

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

The Ministry of Hotels and Tourism has given the hotels, motels and guest houses in Magway Region permission to welcome back customers starting from May, 2021. A total of 50 hotels and motels have been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared last year and 20 of them were reopened in accordance with the COVID-19 rules and regulations set by the Ministry of Health and Sports since April and now all of 50 are reopened.

The hotels and tourism sector in the region is reportedly relying on the domestic travellers and resumption of the business will yield income and eventually profit, an official from the ministry said. The hotels, motels and guest houses are fully booked during the university graduation period and the “Shwesettaw pagoda Buddha Pujaniya festival” which lasts about five months. The hotels and tourism sector in Magway Region generates money from the domestic and international tourists who come to the pagoda Buddha Pujaniya festivals.

The tourist sites including Myathalun pagoda, Gangaw Tahtaung pagoda and Kwechaung fortress in Magway Township, Malun emerald alms-bowl pagoda and Minhla fortress in Minhla Township, Sekkeinte pagoda, Nagapwet mountain, Shwesettaw pagoda, Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary and the elephant camp in Minbu Township, Yokesone monastery and ancient pagodas in Sagu, and Sandagu Natha Kyaungtawya pagoda and Lekaing Yokesone monastery in Pwintbyu township are famous tourist sites in Magway Region. It is reported that plans are underway to develop new tourist destinations for the changing tourism industry in the post-COVID-19 era so as to attract homegrown and international tourists in addition to preservation of ancient cultural heritages and conservation of natural beauties.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Holdings, which operates high-end luxury Peninsula hotels, announced on May 21 that they would suspend a $ 130 million construction project in Yangon for a year, the Nikkei Asia reported. They have reached an agreement with their partners to suspend the Peninsula Yangon hotel project for 12 months due to the current situation in Myanmar , Clement Cox, chief executive of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, told shareholders at the company’s annual meeting on May 21.

It is mentioned that they would continue to monitor the situation in Myanmar and hoped to restart the project as soon as the situation stabilized. The project also includes the renovation of the former colonial-style Myanmar Railways headquarters in downtown Yangon into an 88-room Peninsula Hotel. Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels own 70 percent of the project, with the remaining 30 percent owned by two listed companies, Serge Pun & Associates, one of Myanmar’s leading private conglomerates, and Yoma Strategic Investments and First Myanmar Investment.

Among the projects of the well-known company named the Yoma Central, Peninsula project is included. A company spokesman said on May 21 that the Yoma Central project had been suspended and that all parties concerned were still determined to restart the project. Linn Mu-Holland, director of Group Corporate Affairs at the Hong Kong company, said the project was suspended last April. It is also mentioned that it was too early to say in detail what conditions needed to restart the project and that safety is a top priority. Until August last year, the company was expected to complete the project by 2022. The company’s annual report, released in March, said it was “extremely concerned” about the current violence and instability and would continue to assess the need for immediate response to long-term decisions on the project.

Source: Daily Eleven

According to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Sports, all domestic passengers will no longer need the COVID-19 test and will have to comply with other health standards. According to the statement, passengers on domestic flights can apply for tickets at local ticket offices or at local ticket offices. You will be able to purchase regular flights without having to endorse online or in accordance with the health standards. Passengers may be exposed to suspected COVID-19 fever.

Whooping cough, sudden loss of odor, only those who are free of all symptoms and conditions, such as contact with an infected person within two weeks, will be allowed to go on a scheduled trip. Passengers are required to abide by local orders when the aircraft arrives in their respective cities. The COVID-19 medical check-up for passengers on rescue trips and domestic flights of state-owned Myanmar National Airlines (MNA) and International Myanmar Airlines (MAI) will be available at Yangon Airport Cargo Warehouse and N Health Laboratory, according to the airline.

Rescue flights operated by Myanmar National Airlines such as Bangkok. The COVID-19 medical examination for passengers on Singapore and domestic flights will start on 10 February in Yangon, Myanmar, near Sule Pagoda N Health Laboratory and Yangon International Airport; Inspections will be held at Cargo Warehouse on Pyay Road from 9 am to 11 am. For international passengers on domestic and international rescue flights of Myanmar International Airlines MAI and Air KBZ, Airport Cargo Warehouse on Pyay Road will be opened from 10 February. The RDT test for domestic trips will be available at N Health Laboratory and Tourist Burma Building.

Source: Daily Eleven

State-owned Myanmar National Airlines and Air KBZ will resume domestic flights from March 23. Starting from March 23, Myanmar National Airlines will fly to Mandalay, Sittwe, Thandwe, Kyaukphyu to Ann cities and also Myeik, Dawei, Nay Pyi Taw. It has flown flights to cities such as Myitkyina and announced flights on its Facebook page until March 31. Air KBZ Airlines announced Heho, Myitkyina, Dawei, Myeik, Lashio Flights to domestic cities including Sittwe and Thandwe will start on March 26, according to a statement from the airline. Air KBZ has announced flights from March 26 to March 31. The Yangon-Mandalay-Heho flight will be operated daily from March 26, according to a statement from the airline.

Air KBZ operates Yangon-Sittwe-Yangon flights twice a week. Yangon-Myeik-Yangon flight scheduled for Tuesday, Thursday, Saturdays and Sundays; Yangon-Mandalay-Kengtung-Mandalay-Yangon flight will be canceled on Wednesday. It will also fly on Fridays and Saturdays, and other domestic flights will be announced on the airline’s Facebook page. Tickets can also be purchased in person through Air KBZ’s website, mobile app and K7 Chatboot, including ticket agents. According to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Sports, all passengers on domestic flights will no longer need the COVID-19 test and will have to comply with other health standards.

According to the statement, passengers on domestic flights can apply for a ticket at a local ticket office or at a local ticket office. People will be able to purchase regular flights without any recommendation, either online or in accordance with the health standards. Passengers may be exposed to suspected COVID-19 fever; Whooping cough Sudden loss of odor. Only those who are free of all symptoms and conditions, such as contact with an infected person within two weeks, will be allowed to go on a scheduled trip. Passengers are required to abide by local orders when the aircraft arrives in their respective cities.

Source: Daily Eleven

A natural cave, locally named as Mei Htauk Noon, in Nan Kit village of Pasawng Township, Kayah State, to be developed into an ecotourism site. The Directorate of Hotels and Tourism of the state is working together with the members of the local tourism development committee, the Destination Management Organization and local hotelier association for a tourist attraction in the post-COVID-19.

A local official of the department said that Mei Htauk Noon cave still has natural beauties such as stalactites and drop of water slowly trickles through cracks in the cave roof. It is still an unspoiled natural cave that can attract both local and foreign visitors. The cave is located within around 2 to 3-hour drive from Loikaw Township.

The road to this cave is being developed by the local people led by the senior monk of township Sangha committee. The development works also include the construction of road and electrification inside the cave with about 600-ft in length and 60-ft to 100-ft in width inside it. Other interesting places near the cave are a 100-year-old monastery with the displays of two huge ivories and ancient Buddha images, Woha waterfall and scenic views of Thanlwin River.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar