Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, now has a total of 129 hotels, after another 25 opened in its downtown and uptown areas from January to July this year, according to the Directorate of Hotels and Tourism for Mandalay Region.

Official figures put the total number in the entire region at 236 hotels with 7,940 rooms as of December 2013.

Nyi Nyi Swe, regional officer for the department, said applications had been filed for permission to build 17 more hotels, and once permission was granted construction would start.

Two large hotels, Novotel and another hotel that will be 22 floors, are still under construction and are expected to open next year, officials said.

Tourist arrivals in the region have increased by 25 per cent year on year, after the curfew was lifted on August 11, officials said.

Data showed that the recent violence, which led to a month-long curfew in the city, did not affect the tourism industry of the region as a whole, as visitor arrivals in the first seven months exceeded the number during the same period last year.

“At first, we thought the curfew imposed last month would harm the tourism industry. But there was nothing like that. Foreigners keep flowing into Mandalay Region,” said Nyi Nyi Swe.

He said the department’s data showed tourist arrivals jumped by 25 per cent since the curfew was lifted, when compared to the same period last year.

Source:http://www.elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7360:25-more-hotels-open-in-mandalay-as-tourism-surges&catid=33:business&Itemid=356