NAYPYITAW, 08 November 2021, (TON): Crisis-hit Myanmar is preparing to open the doors to foreign tourists early next year, an eye-brow-raising development given the current state of play in the country.

Late last month Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism Htay Aung said “his country is finalising procedures for reopening its tourism sector to foreigners early next year and will initially target visitors from Southeast Asia, according to a report by Bloomberg.”

He said in an interview “we are preparing for necessary arrangements for travel bubbles with Thailand so that we will be ready when they reach out to us through an official channel.”

“We also aim at reopening to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam in the first quarter of 2022.”

One target is to draw in tourists from Thailand so that Thais can safely visit popular tourist destinations in and around Kawthoung, Myeik, Dawei, Tachileik and Kyaington.

About 300,000 foreigners are expected in the first phase of the reopening, Htay Aung said. Although half of the country’s hotels and guest houses have suspended operations, some 90,000 rooms are still available, he said, according to the Bloomberg report.