Fifty-five of 98 hotels and guesthouses in Arakan State are now open in line with Covid-19 preventive regulations, according to the state’s Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.

The hotels have been allowed to reopen after they were checked for compliance with the regulations imposed by the Ministry of Health and Sports. Broken down by township, the 55 hotels and guesthouses number 15 in Sittwe, 30 in Thandwe, eight in Kyaukphyu and one each in Gwa and Mrauk-U.

The remaining 43 hotels and guesthouses have suspended operations because of few travellers during the rainy season and amid rising Covid-19 infections, said a directorate official.

“They are closed during the monsoon because there are no guests during the rainy season. And Covid-19 spread is another factor,” he said.

U Khin Maung Tun, the owner of Royal Lin Thar Hotel in Ngapali, said: “We are allowed to open our hotels as we follow Covid-19 prevention regulations. But we’re not getting guests. We have to pay water and electricity bills as usual. But we do not have income.”

Domestic and foreign travellers to Arakan State decreased by nearly 25% last year compared with 2019 due to regional instability and the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the state Directorate of Hotels and Tourism.

As tourism has declined, local residents who are dependent on the industry have struggled to make ends meet.