Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Hotel rooms in Naypyitaw are fully booked for July by gem traders who will attend the 13-day gem show and special sales, according to Khin Shwe, the chairman of the Myanmar Hoteliers’ Association.
‘No hotel room is available for July’, he said. ‘The original rate was US$ 30 per room. Now, even if you want to pay US$ 100 per room, there are no available rooms’.The gem fair will be held from Friday to July 13, and around 6,700 gem traders have been invited to attend the fair. The exhibitors estimate that 5,000 traders will attend this year. There are 3,000 hotel rooms in Naypyitaw.
Some traders started to arrive in Naypyitaw on Tuesday. Some have rented houses and some are staying in nearby towns. President Thein Sein is reported to have inspected plans for the gem exhibition and the tourism exhibits that will be held in 11 halls. In addition to the gem fair, 11 groups led by the Myanmar Tourism Board will display tourism exhibitions.
According to a government report, the gem fair held in November 2010 earned US$ 2 billion, and the 48th gem fair held in March 2011 earned US$ 2.4 billion.
