The change occurred on 10 April, following the 2025–2026 elections, and a subsequent Union Government ministerial reshuffle that concluded in April. Culture, which had been under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture since 2016, moved from religious affairs to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. Meanwhile, the country’s religious portfolio reverted to a standalone Ministry of Religious Affairs.  

Myanmar International TV noted that the shift expands the role of the hotels and tourism ministry from hotel licensing, travel service regulation, and tourism marketing, to also overseeing Myanmar’s cultural and heritage assets.

“Its unified mandate now explicitly focuses on driving cultural tourism by integrating the management of the private hospitality sector with the preservation of local traditions, fine arts, and heritage conservation,” said Myanmar International TV.

Heading the newly restructured Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture (MHTC) is Union Minister U Maung Myint, who took office in April 2026 following the post-election ministerial reshuffle.

(Source: Ministry of Information, Myanmar)

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Organised in conjunction with the Mekong Tourism Forum 2026 and supported by Myanmar’s Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture, the exhibition will convene at Pan Pacific Yangon from 15 to 18 June 2026 and at Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon from 20 to 30 June 2026.

Curated by travel consultant and art curator Jaffee Yee, the exhibition features the work of three contemporary Myanmar watercolour artists: Arkar Myo, Aung Htet Lwin and Sai Pyae Sone Aye.

Through a collection of watercolour paintings, visitors are invited to experience some of Myanmar’s most iconic destinations, including Shwedagon Pagoda, Mandalay Palace, Shwenandaw Monastery, Inle Lake, Bagan and Hpa-An.

For Yee, the exhibition demonstrates how art can inspire travel and cultural understanding.
“Art captures the spirit of a place,” said Yee. “We hope these paintings encourage visitors to discover more of Myanmar’s culture, heritage and people.”

Its connection with the Mekong Tourism Forum 2026 further highlights the importance of culture as a driver of sustainable tourism. The MTF brings together tourism leaders and industry professionals from across the Greater Mekong Subregion to explore opportunities for collaboration, innovation and responsible tourism development.

About the artists

• Aung Htet Lwin
  Aung Htet Lwin was born in 1991 in Pantanaw, Myanmar. He is a full-time professional artist known for his atmospheric urban landscapes and expressive contemporary watercolour paintings. He graduated from the National University of Arts and Culture (NUAC), Yangon, specialising in painting. 

• Sai Pyae Sone Aye
  Sai Pyae Sone Aye was born in 1980 in Khamti, Sagaing, Myanmar. He is an acclaimed professional watercolour artist. Recognised for his deep mastery of the medium, he is highly celebrated for capturing the unique qualities of light and atmosphere, with a particular focus on urban scenes, vivid landscapes, and natural scenery. 

• Arkar Myo
  Arkar Myo was born in 1992 in Mandalay, Myanmar. He began studying fine art under a private instructor at the age of seven, training diligently for six years. During his childhood as an aspiring artist, he actively participated in numerous national and international competitions. 

About the author 
Andrew J Wood is a respected travel writer, tourism lecturer and hospitality consultant with more than four decades of experience in Southeast Asia’s tourism and hotel industry. A former hotel general manager and regular contributor to regional travel publications, he is widely recognised for his insights into tourism development, destination marketing and sustainable travel.

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Themed “Tourism for People, Travel with Purpose,” the event is organised by the Ministry of Hotels, Tourism and Culture of Myanmar and the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office.

Taking place at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Yangon, this year’s programme will feature keynote presentations, industry insight sessions, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and technical visits in and around Yangon.

Ahead of the main forum, a practical pre-forum workshop on evidence-based destination marketing and tourism insights will focus on practical approaches to tourism intelligence, destination marketing, and cross-border collaboration. 

MTF highlights both international experts and changemakers from within the Mekong region itself — spotlighting practitioners, community leaders, social enterprises, researchers, tourism innovators, and local champions whose work directly shapes tourism across Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The forum will open with a keynote address by Masaru Takayama titled “Tourism for People: From Principles to Lasting Impact,” exploring tourism through the framework of Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce. 

Speakers across the programme will include representatives and experts from organisations such as AirAsia MOVE, Planeterra, Asian Ecotourism Network, Clickable Impact, ASEAN Tourism Association, and Local Alike. 

“Tourism is one of the few sectors where local communities can directly benefit from human connection, cultural exchange, and shared experiences. MTF 2026 is built around the belief that tourism should serve people and places first,” said the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office Executive Director Dee Suvimol Thanasarakij.

Complimentary registration for the Mekong Tourism Forum 2026 is now open. To sign up and view the full programme, visit www.mekongtourism.org. 

About the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office

Established in 2006, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is a tourism collaboration framework for the six governments of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) — Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region), Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. MTCO’s work programme is guided by the GMS Tourism Working Group (TWG), composed of senior representatives of the National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) of the six member countries.

(Source: Mekong Tourism Cordinating Office)

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MAI flies the route twice weekly on Monday and Friday using an ATR72 with 70 seats.

First reported by NP News based in Yangon, the Mandalay-Chiang Mai route is the first to be added to MAI’s international network in 2025 and the fourth route that the MAI will operate from its Mandalay International Airport hub.

Flight schedule

8M374 departs Mandalay at 1410 and arrives in Chiang Mai at 1600.
8M375 departs Chiang Mai at 1630 and arrives in Mandalay at 1720.

Meanwhile, the airline confirmed it would start a new service on 2 April, from Yangon, Myanmar’s commercial capital, to Danang, a port city in central Vietnam. Flights are scheduled twice weekly on Wednesday and Saturday. The airline will deploy an Embraer EM190 to serve the route. 

Flight schedule

8M454 departs Yangon at 1630 and arrives in Danang at 1900.
8M455 departs Danang at 2000 and arrives in Yangon at 2130.

In addition to MAI’s daily Yangon-Kuala Lumpur trips, the airline will introduce a direct flight from Yangon to Penang, Malaysia, operating every Monday and Thursday, effective 10 April 2025. The airline will deploy an Embraer EM190 for the two-hour flight. The starting roundtrip fare is pegged at USD274.

Flight schedule

8M505 departs Yangon at 1445 and arrives in Penang at 1815.
8M506 departs Penang at 1915 and arrives in Yangon at 1945.

Penang Island is MAI’s second destination in  Malaysia and is famed for its historical and cultural heritage, reflecting colonial heritage in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed George Town. Penang is famous for its street food, art and beaches.

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MAI introduced additional daily flights between its home base, Yangon in Myanmar and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), effective 20 January. It raises flights to 35 weekly (five daily using A320s with 180 seats on the route).

Earlier this month, the airline also increased flights between Yangon and Chiang Mai in northern Thailand from three to four weekly, deploying an ATR72 with 68 seats (departing Yangon at 1150 on Tuesday) and an Embraer 190 with 98 seats (departing Yangon at 1230 on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday).

MAI also introduced a fourth weekly flight from Yangon to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, every Monday, effective 15 January 2025. The additional flight departs for Phnom Penh at 1640 and arrives at 1910. The Monday, Wednesday, and Friday flights use an Embraer 190 with 98 seats. The Sunday flight departs an hour earlier at 1540 and uses an ATR72 with 68 seats. 

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MAI will initially offer a twice-weekly direct service between the two Southeast Asian cities on Tuesday and Thursday. The airline conducted a test flight on 3 April this year, but scheduled flights will start on 25 June.

The airline is actively promoting the new service on its Facebook page, offering a one-way fare on the route for USD159. Flight time is one hour and 30 minutes using the two-class Embraer 190 aircraft, which has six business class seats and 100 in economy.

Flights are bookable on Skyscanner, Google Flights and Trip.com, with Skyscanner quoting a round-trip fare of USD308.

Flight 8M470 will depart Yangon at 1700 and arrive in Vientiane at 1900 on Tuesday and Thursday.
Flight 8M471 will depart Vientiane at 2000 and arrive in Yangon at 2100

Meanwhile, Myanmar Airways International confirmed this week that it has concluded 40 codeshare and interline agreements with international airlines serving Southeast Asian cities, such as Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok, and Dubai in the Middle East.

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The submission calls for Italian authorities to investigate Htoo Htwe Tay Za, alias Rachel Tayza, for her alleged “involvement as a shareholder and director of companies that are part of the EU-sanctioned Htoo Group of Companies, and, where appropriate, to freeze her assets and to remove her from Italy.”

The submission alleges that while residing in Italy, Tayza continues to hold shares and act as director of at least seven Htoo Group companies, including ones formed after the military’s coup in February 2021 and those in direct business with the Myanmar army.

It points the finger at the tourism and hospitality company Ayeyarwaddy Resorts and Lodges Company Limited as one of those identified companies. Justice for Myanmar alleges it has build-operate-transfer contracts with the Myanmar army’s EU-sanctioned Office of the Quarter Master General regarding a multipurpose commercial project, including a hotel, luxury residence towers and a shopping mall on 22 acres of land in Yangon. 

The US, UK, Canada, and the EU have extended sanctions against the Htoo Group. On 31 January 2023, the US sanctioned Rachel Tayza for her active role in the Htoo Group of Companies and for being the adult daughter of the Htoo Group chairperson, Tay Za. The EU, USA, UK, and Canada also sanctioned her. Rachel’s brothers, Pye Phyo Tay Za and Htoo Htet Tay Za, are also sanctioned by the USA, UK, and Canada.

In its reasons for sanctions, the EU noted: “Htoo Group of Companies has acted as an intermediary for the provision of military equipment which was used against civilian populations protesting against the 1 February coup, all across the country and in particular in areas with ethnic minorities.”

Justice for Myanmar describes Htoo Group as a “key node in the Myanmar military’s international network of businesses” that provides it with funds through its network of more than 60 businesses in Myanmar and Singapore. 

One of the enterprises, Aureum Palace Hotels and Resorts, operates 11 hotels in Myanmar that are promoted and bookable on various online travel agency websites. International booking websites that accept payments in USD and Euro through credit cards could breach US and EU sanctions.

Another company, Myanmar Treasure Resorts, is under Htoo Hospitality operations, while Htoo Trading closed two airlines, Air Bagan in 2015 and Asian Wings Airlines in 2019. According to a Justice For Myanmar investigation, Rachel Tayza has been residing in Milan, where she recently completed her studies at a fashion school supported by proceeds from the Htoo Group of Companies.

Justice For Myanmar urges the EU to impose sanctions on the whole Htoo Group network of companies and individuals, including Rachel Tayza, as well as all other Myanmar junta cronies and brokers.

Justice For Myanmar spokesperson Yadanar Maung says: “Weak sanctions enforcement by Italian authorities has allowed Tayza to do business in Italy that funds an illegal and illegitimate military junta.   

(Source: Justice For Myanmar)

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The new route, Yangon-Chiang Mai, will be served by a 95-seat Embraer E190 (E90) jet aircraft, which will offer three weekly flights on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

Flight 8M370 will depart Yangon (RGN) at 1215 and arrive in Chiang Mai (CNX) at 1345.
Flight 8M371 will depart Chiang Mai (CNX) at 1445 and arrive in Yangon (RGN) at 1515.

The airline is pitching the introductory one-way fare on the route at USD119.

MAI flies four daily flights on the Yangon-Bangkok (BKK) route and from Mandalay to Bangkok (BKK) daily. It also flies daily from Yangon to Bangkok (DMK).

It will face stiff competition on the Yangon-Chiang Mai route from Myanmar National Airlines (UB), which flies four times weekly using the 70-seat ATR72. Flights are scheduled on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Flight UB09 departs Yangon at 1720 and arrives in Chiang Mai at 1910.
Flight UB10 departs Chiang Mai at 2015 and arrives in Yangon at 2105.

The average roundtrip fare on UB is USD250, with a low of USD185 in March and rising to around USD223 in April. Travel to Myanmar is restricted. Visa-free travel has been suspended for all foreign visitors, and the only way to enter the country is to join a tour package sold by authorised travel agencies.

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The first edition was hosted in February 2023 and is once more being organised by the Myanmar Tourism Marketing association, supported by sponsors and exhibitors from Myanmar’s tourism industry.

It’s a difficult sell for the tourism association as the country is virtually closed to tourism apart from organised tour groups sanctioned by the military government’s Hotels and Tourism Ministry. 

There will be no shortage of questions for the virtual tourism mart hosts to answer from media and travel companies, with most attendees hoping military rule, now in its third year, will end soon and democracy will be restored. However, UN experts warned recently that the military coup in Myanmar had caused a human rights crisis and was also increasing the climate vulnerability for the people of Myanmar. An estimated 600,00 people have been killed since the 1 February 2021 coup, and around 1 million have been displaced.

 However, the travel mart’s hosts remain optimistic despite current challenges. 
“This year’s Myanmar Tourism Mart is an active expression of that confidence”, said the show organisers in their invite to buyers and media. They affirm that the virtual event will feature exhibiting companies from every travel industry sector, including destinations, airlines, hotels, travel agencies and cruise operators in Myanmar.

Registration for the virtual event is free for buyers, trade visitors and media. Participant buyers must commit to pre-matched appointments with exhibitors.

 For more information visit: http://www.myanmartourismmart.com/

Register Here- https://myanmartourismmart.com/trade-visitor-media-registration/

(Source: MTM)

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A check of Agoda.com, a popular booking website for hotels in Asia, flagged the cancellation of sales. At the same time, Booking.com removed the resort from its selection of properties in southern Myanmar without an explanation. The hotel’s website is still online, but room bookings have been disabled. Its most recent Facebook post on 12 January promoted day trips to the resort island for a “Visa Run”, including a complimentary coffee and a chance to buy booze in the resort’s duty-free shop.

Grand Andaman Hotel is located on Thahtay Kyun Island, Kawthoung (formerly known as Victoria Point), Myanmar. It is part of the Mergui Archipelago in the Andaman Sea, facing Ranong across a narrow 5km strait.

Its original owner was awarded a 45-year exclusive concession of the 1,800-acre island by the Burmese authorities, possibly in the 1990s when the resort traded under the Andaman Club brand.

First reported by the Irrawaddy news channel on 6 February, the online news channel alleged: “The five-star hotel and casino with exclusive rights to a tropical island off the southern tip of mainland Myanmar shut down this month after an arrest warrant was issued in Thailand for (its present) owner, U Kyaw Lwin.” 

The resort owner’s status regarding the arrest warrant could not be verified independently. 

The Grand Andaman Hotel ran a lucrative casino business that attracted Thai and Burmese tycoons, offering gaming rooms, spas, karaoke lounges and beauty salons and employing more than 1,500 Thai and Myanmar nationals. 

Dating back to when it traded under the Andaman Club brand, various Thai airlines ran charters and even scheduled flights to Ranong for Bangkok gamblers who crossed the narrow strait by luxury speed boats to the island resort on the Myanmar side of the border. Visitors to the resort could stay on the island without a Myanmar visa. 

A major expansion kicked off in 2016 with the development of a 205 five-star hotel and even an 18-hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Other facilities described in the resort’s sale pitch included water sports and scuba diving centre, zoo, fitness centre, discothèque-cum-karaoke club, restaurants, bar lounge, 24-hour café, business centre and duty-free shop. 

According to Wikipedia, the Andaman Club casino and resort was originally owned and operated by the VES Group of Thailand under a long-term concession from the Myanmar government. However, in 2016, operations were transferred to Grand Andaman Travel, which is believed to be owned by the Burmese tycoon Kyaw Lwin.

Google Map

(Source: Irrawaddy plus additional reporting) https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/five-star-casino-resort-on-myanmar-tropical-island-runs-out-of-luck.html

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