Private accommodation ‘not allowed’ in Myanmar
Foreigners in Myanmar are banned from staying in private accommodation provided by Myanmar citizens “unless no other accommodation is available for them,” Myanmar’s Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Htay Aung said at a recent tourism conference with hoteliers and tour guides held in Mandalay.
The reasons he gave for not allowing foreigners to stay with locals were that the former would “not properly follow Myanmar customs, such as sleeping facing the east, and do not like the Myanmar style of eating, such as a family using one spoon to eat from a single bowl of soup.”
“The manners of some foreigners are not appropriate for Myanmar people,” he added.
However, critics say the ban is more aimed at boosting the occupancy rate in the already overpriced hotels and holding private homestay providers back from capitalising on the tourism boom currently under way in the country.
Hotel rooms in the business capital have reached inappropriate heights compared to the standards on offer due to a growing imbalance of demand and supply. A 3-star-hotel in Yangon would charge up to $200 a night for walk-in customers, a frequent visitor to the country told Investvine.
Homestays would be only suitable when foreigners visit remote areas, the minister continued
While technically banned, homestays in Myanmar are common when tourists go on multiday treks, with accommodation arranged by a guide. In many cases they sleep in monasteries.
Foreigners in Myanmar are banned from staying in private accommodation provided by Myanmar citizens "unless no other accommodation is available for them," Myanmar's Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Htay Aung said at a recent tourism conference with hoteliers and tour guides held in Mandalay. The reasons he gave for not allowing foreigners to stay with locals were that the former would "not properly follow Myanmar customs, such as sleeping facing the east, and do not like the Myanmar style of eating, such as a family using one spoon to eat from a single bowl of soup." “The manners of...
Foreigners in Myanmar are banned from staying in private accommodation provided by Myanmar citizens “unless no other accommodation is available for them,” Myanmar’s Minister for Hotels and Tourism U Htay Aung said at a recent tourism conference with hoteliers and tour guides held in Mandalay.
The reasons he gave for not allowing foreigners to stay with locals were that the former would “not properly follow Myanmar customs, such as sleeping facing the east, and do not like the Myanmar style of eating, such as a family using one spoon to eat from a single bowl of soup.”
“The manners of some foreigners are not appropriate for Myanmar people,” he added.
However, critics say the ban is more aimed at boosting the occupancy rate in the already overpriced hotels and holding private homestay providers back from capitalising on the tourism boom currently under way in the country.
Hotel rooms in the business capital have reached inappropriate heights compared to the standards on offer due to a growing imbalance of demand and supply. A 3-star-hotel in Yangon would charge up to $200 a night for walk-in customers, a frequent visitor to the country told Investvine.
Homestays would be only suitable when foreigners visit remote areas, the minister continued
While technically banned, homestays in Myanmar are common when tourists go on multiday treks, with accommodation arranged by a guide. In many cases they sleep in monasteries.
