Myanmar hotels look to boost standard with Thai help

Myanmar hotels look to boost standard with Thai help

Kempinski Hotel Nay Pyi Taw
Kempinski Hotel Nay Pyi Taw

YANGON - A joint seminar on hospitality management development will be held on Saturday, a cooperative effort by the Myanmar Hotelier Association and Thai industry.

The conference, organised by Krung Thai Bank, will be held at Taw Win Garden Hotel,

“Many international brands have already entered into the Myanmar hotel industry, so we will compete with them and prepare to develop technical expertise and knowledge to an international standard,”  Hotelier Association joint secretary Nay Zaw Aung said.

“That’s why hotel management experts with over 30 years of experience will share at this seminar, in order to benefit local entrepreneurs.”

A similar seminar was held in Mandalay last June, with around 250 hotel delegates in attendance.

“It is better if the local industry learns more about hospitality management,” Mr Nay Zaw Aung said, confirming that hotel industry business owners who are not members of the Hoteliers Association are also welcome to attend.

Myanmar’s tourism industry is booming with visitor numbers increasing by 50% annually over the past five years, he said.

“The local entrepreneurs are competing in the hotel industry with international hotel brands entering with good management ability and technical skills,” Mr Nay Zaw Aung said. “That is why we will need to prepare for this with the help of expert  advice.”

Myanmar’s tourism industry is likened to that of Thailand 30 years ago, chair and CEO of Unique Luxury Hotels of Asia Dhammaras B Kasem told The Myanmar Times.

He said this is a unique opportunity to learn from Thailand’s experience, where hospitality and tourism has been a major economic driver with official visitor arrival figures hitting the 30 million mark in recent years.

“I will tell them the industry secrets they need to know before they make huge investments into hotels,” Mr Dhammaras said. “Other businesses can make profits within one year, but the hotel business is not like that. It is a long-term investment.”

Hoteliers in Myanmar should develop strategic plans for the next five to 10 years, he said, adding that it was crucial to update management systems and try to learn from the successes - and failings - of industry figures in other countries.

Mr Dhammaras said now is the time for Myanmar to embrace modern technology, in order to keep apace with hospitality sector operators around the world.

“In Thailand, the smartphone can do everything we want it too, such as ticketing and money transfers,” he said. Building Myanmar’s hospitality sector will require cooperation from regulators and operators alike.

“I think the most important body is the government. The Myanmar Hotelier Association and the private sector must hold each other’s hand to build up the Myanmar brand.”

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT