If the December 2023 figures of 700 foreign visitors to Inle (pronounced: Inn Lay) are anything to go by, it would be a case study of a major tourist attraction with ‘perpetual recuperation mode’.
Recalling the heydays during 2013 to 2016 periods, when boatmen had difficulties finding slips for their motorised sampans, said Aung Lin, one of the few remaining boatmen, playing their trade transporting visitors around the real Venice of Asia. Now that many of them have either given up or been toiling and praying for their daily continuance, after getting bruised for four consecutive years due to the double jeopardy of Covid and politics.
Gone were the days when thousands of domestic and foreign visitors descended upon Inn Lay Lake, to enjoy the uniqueness of nature, putting this vast lake up on top of an enormous plateau. People have to queue just to get onto the sampans. Jetties were precious assets, where tourists waited for their turns to get onboard. The expansive lake is bustling with activities, from feeding of the sea gulls, admiring fishermen on skiffs, stepping on floating strips of islets used for growing tomatoes, visiting many unique attractions to simply waving each other from mechanised sampans.
MI went to Inn Lay in the middle of January to check out the reality of the circumstances. Alas, the flight was full for both legs travelling from Yangon. A group of Korean tourists were spotted on the same flight with us. Sadly, on our boat ride to the hotel, during our three nights stay or on tours of the attractions, we ended up ‘Waving into Thin Air’, crisp and freezing, in this desolate beauty of nature, disheartened and dispirited by ineluctable causes, perforce.
As Confucius once said, ‘We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope’. The glimmer of hope arise just like a phoenix arising from the ashes of its previous life, starting with the resort that we stayed in. Only with a couple or so of villas occupied during our mini break, Villa Inle Boutique Resort is keeping its operational costs to a minimum by growing its own organic vegetables and operating an small poultry farm producing organic eggs. An ultimate combination of freshness and nature perhaps. MI has spoken to a few other hoteliers around the lake; they also have upcoming batches of visitors from abroad, to add whatever little vibrancy they could to the destination. We also spoke to car leasing operators. All have downsized their operations and possessions for their continued survival. One such operator, Thura, has already sold off two of his vehicles and is now operating with just one car. He said, he did not have a choice and knew no other way of earning a living now.
Adding to their despair is the deficient infrastructure, poor law and order and present high security environment. Electricity supply has always been a shortcoming in Myanmar, but the situation is made worse by NNCP terrorist attacks on electrical infrastructure and government despondency to implement any major infra projects during and after Covid, till now. This is adding woes to the hotels as the first question most domestic tourists normally ask would be ‘Would there be 24 hour electrical supply during my stay?’. Even boutique hotels such as Ville Inle, which charges around $100 a night, the cost of running a generator to affect uninterrupted power supply would set back by more than per night revenues from a couple of rooms. More so for larger hotels. With significantly reduced number of visitors during this peak season, this is a promise that hotels simply cannot fulfill.
Recent shortages in fuel supply has all the hotels and other businesses scrambling to get limited gas supply at exorbitant prices, exacerbating operational losses for all, wanting to put on a better show during this holiday season.
Political changes and anti-government activities have made the law and order situation worse too. Even crooked villagers became more daring, attempting a variety of methods to extort money out of good businesses operating in and around Inn Lay.
The security situation all across the country is demanding the creation of barbicans and barricades at multiple junctions around Inn Lay and this is forcing visitors and general public to stay home after sunset. A stark contrast to lively night scenes as late as five years ago.
The Accommodation
Ville Inle started its operations at the end of 2011, just to ride the tsunami of visitors influx right after opening up of Myanmar. The 27 villa hotel on a 27 acre land was quickly filled up, never filling to achieve 90% occupancy during the yearly holiday seasons. Even though it is one of the more expensive hotel in Inle, it always keeps its place in tripadvior ranking among the top ten. Ranking aside, it is the only hotel in Inle with a ‘Gold Life’ status, one of the highest honours given in the hotel industry.
The suites are charming and immaculate, albeit slightly slippery well-polished floors, and furnishing are unique and picturesque. Every villa faces the lake with a sizeable verandah, allowing guests to wake up to the peace and quietness of nature in the early morning and sip a cup of tea while enjoying the sunset in the afternoon.
The vast compound allows low density of residents to enjoy modern comforts under a canopy of teak trees (~7,000 in total). From the roof to the flooring, the use of abundant local materials makes the stay more special, with the back to the nature feeling in this natural wonder on earth.
The service and the food were flawless too. The facilities are just perfect, from immediate outflow of hot water, to the right water pressure to finally cleanliness at par with high end hotels of the developed world.
Can Inle survive?
Just like in war, speed is essential to survival. Speed of action, strategy and successful implantation. The difficulty here is that it does not depend on individual attempts, but on teamwork that involved government (ministries), businesses, media and private individuals from here and abroad, pushing the wheels of improvements into motion.
Government help is needed in infrastructure (especially electricity), security, nationwide promotions and convincing people to support local attractions. Businesses must also find innovative ways of promotions, survival and alternative income generating activities. Media assistance is most needed to reflect the truth about Myanmar and combat fake news that infected the minds of international visitors and prevented tourist arrivals en mess. Visitors from home and abroad must also adjust their expectations and increase their support for the local economy of Inle through spending on handicraft and tours and possibly enjoying longer vacations.
Without such combined efforts, the laggard attraction will continue to remain in doldrums for many years to come and may end up being in a slow death towards becoming a desert of dejection and despair, doomed due to despondency from all stakeholders concerned.