As a rule, hotels in capitals enjoy high occupancy, but that is something that hotels in Nay Pyi Taw, the capital of Myanmar, can only dream of. According to reports, as many as 80% of guestrooms in the city simply stay empty on any day, and currently there is no cure for that. Over-optimistic developers have significantly increased hotel supply in Nay Pyi Taw, but lack of famous tourist attractions failed to bring many tourists to the city.
As it is stated by the Nay Pyi Taw Hotel Entrepreneurs Association, every day around 1,000 guestrooms in the capital are occupied. This figure is not regular as in calmer periods only 300-400 guestrooms in Nay Pyi Taw are booked. However, there are almost 50 hotels in the three main hotel zones of the capital, and together they offer over 5,000 guestrooms. That number would be not a problem for a popular tourist destination, but international guests are rare in Nay Pyi Taw. Quite often tourist agencies simply don’t advertise the Myanmar capital or label it as one with few attractions.
The local hotel association believes they can attract more visitors if they prove Nay Pyi Taw has more interesting places. Currently, the Thatta Thattaha Maha Bawdi Pagoda and the Uppatasanti Pagoda are known as the signature landmarks of the capital, but there are such interesting places as Water Fountain Garden, the Defense Services Museum and one of the biggest zoos in Southeast Asia. The officials think the lack of information about the city in social media may also be the reason for low popularity. They are going to make promotional videos, translate hotel websites into English and provide more information about landmarks and how to reach them, their working hours and fees. The popularity may not come fast, but Nay Pyi Taw hoteliers hope their efforts will eventually bring positive results.