Yangon—Despite a prohibition on new construction in Myanmar’s World Heritage site, new hotels and guesthouses continue to be built within the protected property zone of Bagan, according to local residents. The 50-sq.-km property zone is an area “that has been demarcated as containing most of the cultural heritage attributes” by the Myanmar government and UNESCO. […]
‘No rain, no visitors and no income’: Bagan adjusts to tourism crash
In common with popular destinations around the world, Bagan has been hit hard by the economic effects of the pandemic and many there who rely on tourists for a living have had to adapt to survive. Words & photos by NYEIN SU WAI KYAW SOE | FRONTIER Cries of “morning glory and other vegetables!” punctuate […]
Looters target Myanmar temple treasures in tourist slump
BAGAN — A squad of gun-toting police patrol Myanmar’s sacred site of Bagan under the cover of night, taking on plunderers snatching relics from temples forsaken by tourists due to coronavirus restrictions. Each evening as dusk falls, about 100 officers fan out across the plain of Bagan measuring 50 square kilometres (19 square miles), sweeping […]
Licensed tour guides team up against interlopers
Three tour guide groups from Mandalay, Bagan and Shan State will cooperate to conduct surprise checks of unlicensed tour guides. They will team up with the tourism police and the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism every Friday to inspect tourist attractions, said U Win Zaw Oo, chair of the Tour Guide Association of Mandalay. “We […]
Nyaung-U airport to be renovated to handle more passengers
Renovation work will be carried out this year at Nyaung-U airport in Bagan to enable it to handle more passengers in the wake of the ancient city being declared a World Heritage site, said a senior civil aviation official. “We’ll carry out renovation work on the terminal. We’ll build rooms and upgrade the toilets for […]
Despite world heritage status, Bagan’s future far from assured
BAGAN, Mandalay Region—Wandering along an unmarked dirt road in the freshly World Heritage-listed ancient city of Bagan in upper Myanmar almost always yields some sort of surprise. You may bump into a cluster of centuries-old red brick buildings, or a lone temple with unique architecture whose interior rewards visitors with the sight of murals dating […]
Govt calls for sustainable tourism investments in Tanintharyi
Amid a rise in the number of Chinese tourists and so called zero-dollar tours to Myanmar in the recent months, the government is now calling for sustainable and quality investments for Tanintharyi Region’s tourism industry. U Thaung Tun, chair of the Myanmar Investment Commission and Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations and U Ohn […]
Concerns may emerge when Bagan hotels, businesses are forced to move
On July 6, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Bagan as a World Heritage Site, marking Myanmar’s second entry to the list after World Heritage Status was granted to the ancient Pyu cities of Sri Ksetra, Halin and Beikthano in 2014. The ancient city has more than 3500 surviving stupas, temples, […]
Bangkok Airways expresses interest in opening routes to Bagan
Bangkok Airways, a Thai regional airline, is interested in opening a direct route between Bangkok and Bagan, which has just been accorded the World Heritage Site status by UNESCO. Bagan, an ancient site of Buddhist temples, monasteries and fortifications in Mandalay Region, already popular with tourists, could see more interest now that it has finally […]