Only licensed hotels to be allowed receiving foreign tourists

Nay Pyi Taw November 3

Foreigner travellers will only be allowed to stay at hotels which have been granted licences from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism, and those hotels running without a licence will not be allowed accepting foreigners, said sources.

U Myint Htwe, director of the information department of the ministry, said directives had been issued to ban foreigners from staying at guesthouses running with licences from the development affairs committees concerned, to put up signboards at those guesthouses featuring only in Myanmar language and to mention the signboards of hotels and guesthouses permitted to receive foreigners in English language.

For any failure to follow the instructions, the punishment is for a three years’ imprisonment or a fine of K50,000 or both under the prescribed law.

The Ministry Hotels and Tourism has issued licences to 1,371 hotels with 53,000 rooms across the country.

It is expected that about 5.5 million foreign tourists will come to Myanmar this financial year (2016-2017) Till 1 November, more than 2.4 million tourists had visited the country, according to the ministry figures (178) 

Yadanarpon Daily