Hotel bookings surge in Bagan-Nyaung-U ahead of Thadingyut Holiday

Hotel bookings in the Bagan-Nyaung-U ancient cultural zone have surged ahead of the upcoming Thadingyut holiday, with only a limited number of rooms remaining available for the public holidays from October 24 to 27, according to hotel and tourism industry operators.

Tourist arrivals to the Bagan archaeological zone have increased again since September, prompting local businesses, including restaurants, souvenir shops and hotels, to make preparations for the expected influx of visitors.

“Tourists have started returning to Bagan following events such as the Taung Pyone Festival. Many hotels are already fully booked for the upcoming Thadingyut holiday. It may be difficult to find a room if you try to book now. Bagan had relatively few visitors for about three or four months, but local businesses are now preparing for the visitors expected in the coming days,” said Ko Naing, a hotel and tourism operator from the Bagan-Nyaung-U area.

Hot-air balloon flights are also planned in the Bagan ancient cultural zone during the upcoming Thadingyut holiday. The flights are expected to be organized at three separate locations.

“We are planning to visit Bagan during the Thadingyut public holidays, so we booked our hotel room more than a month in advance. When we contacted the hotel to book an additional room, they told us there were no rooms available. Some guesthouses still have rooms, but the hotel said the next available rooms would be around October 27,” said Ma Yu Ya, who plans to visit Bagan during the holiday period.

Although tourism in Bagan had begun to recover in recent years, tourist arrivals reportedly declined significantly following incidents in which some visitors who came to the area to make religious pilgrimages were believed to have been abducted, according to local residents.