HOTELIERS at Ngwe Saung Beach in Ayeyarwady Division said they are expecting a surge in visitors at the end of December around Christmastime, which is one of the peak seasons at the beach.

“Christmas in December, Thingyan in April and around Mayday in early May are the times when get the most visitors,” said U Maung Maung Aye, the manager of Silver View Hotel.

“We also see a lot of guests after matriculation exams finish in March,” he said.
“Then after Mayday the number of visitors drops drastically as the rainy season approaches,” he added.

U Maung Maung Aye said that during the low season, from June until the end of September, some of the bigger hotels stay open but most close or scale back on services and numbers of employees

U Thein Soe, the manager of Yuzana Resort Hotel, said that even though Ngwe Saung opened to visitors in 2000, it wasn’t until the 48-kilometre (30-mile) road between the city of Pathein and the beach was improved in 2003 that tourism numbers jumped.

“After the new road was opened visitor numbers increased by about 70 percent,” he said, adding that Yuzana Resort Hotel was the first accommoda-tion to open at Ngwe Saung in 2000.

According to figures from the Ngwe Saung Zone Hoteliers Association, a total of 1186 visitors came to the beach in October, more than double the 532 who visited at the same time last year.

However, the increase was entirely attributable to local beachgoers.

“We’ve seen an increase in Myanmar visitors because hotels linked with tour companies have offered special package trips for locals,” U Maung Maung Aye said.

U Thein Soe said the occupancy rate at Yuzana Resort Hotel jumped from 25 percent in October to 60pc in November.

“We’re hoping for 75pc in December,” he said.