According to travel agencies, the number of visitors to the islands of Kawthoung is likely to be higher than the number of visitors to the Myeik Archipelago during this Thingyan period.

Moreover, the public inter­est is also high in major trips to Kawthoung Township, and the tours are fully booked.

“It is learnt that the visitors to Kawthoung will be high this year. The location is peaceful and provides the best services on private islands, aiming at attracting visitors rather than profits. The travel agents make bookings for air tickets in ad­vance and arrange the two-way tickets and tours around the is­lands. It costs K2.5 million per head to NyaungOoPhee Island and Macleod Island, but the ar­rivals of visitors are on the rise,” said a travel agent.

The travel agencies offer tours to islands from Yangon during the Thingyan period K1.5million (Hotel, round ticket, food) per head for a two-night trip, K5million for a 10-people private night-stay trip from Mye­ik to Bailey island and Sparkling Bay.

“There is no one who makes bookings to visit the islands in Kyunsu township of Myeik Dis­trict. There are only about ten people who made bookings for the Thingyan period. It can be said that tourism in the Myeik Archipelago is at a minus. We make preparations for services. Currently, people come for busi­ness purposes, and there are no visitors who are there for pleas­ure. For the current fuel prices, we can send the visitors with speed boats if the number of peo­ple is less than ten. It is K1.1 mil­lion for the Marcus island tour and K2.3 million for the Bailey Sparkling Bay tour,” said an offi­cial from the Myeik District Tour­ism Entrepreneurs Association. Although there were over 40 travel companies in the Myeik archipelago, there are now about ten companies.

During the first week of April, the public interest in vis­iting Kawthoung is higher than in the tours to Kyunsu township in Taninthayi Region. The hotel bookings for tours in Kawthoung Township are fully reserved, while the bookings for tours in Kyunsu Township are declined. — Myint Oo (Myeik)/KTZH