Naypyitaw’s KEMPINSKI Hotel Closes

The Swiss-owned 5-star establishment had 141 rooms and had hosted international government officials, ambassadors and business travellers since it opened in 2014.

Numerous international companies have left Myanmar since the military’s seizure of power this year. There has been a huge decline in tourists.

Some hotels are staying afloat by catering to local travellers and long-stay guests, but with high overheads for major international hotel chains that depend on foreign visitors has resulted in their permanent closure. International tourists have been banned from the country since March last year.

In September 225 out of the 483 hotels in Yangon have shut down. Among them is the Sule Shangri-La, formerly known as the Traders Hotel. The Sedona Hotel on Kabar Aye Pagoda road remains open to long-stay guests but no longer accepts new guests or serves meals at its restaurant.

Santa Ana Volcano

EL SALVADOR MORE FLEXIBLE ENTRY

The El Salvador government has made entry into the country more flexible by eliminating the sanitary requirements Instead, a risk-based approach will be operating to facilitate international travel called 'Regulatory Considerations Relating to the Application of a Risk-Based Approach to International Travel in the Context of Covid-19'.

El Salvador has always been highlighted as a safe destination to travel to and has been a benchmark country for the proper management of the pandemic due to its successful strategies.

KUWAIT TOURISM VISAS NOW ONLINE

Kuwait has begun to issue tourism visas to citizens of more than 50 countries and certain professionals residing in the member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), via its new online platform.

This visa was previously issued upon arrival at the Kuwait airport. Now, tourism visas to Kuwait via the website of the Interior Ministry to citizens of 53 countries including the US, the UK, Germany, Spain, Australia, Norway, Turkey, China, Canada, South Korea, France, Malaysia and the Netherlands, can be issued online.

Residents in the GCC countries who do certain jobs are also entitled to obtain these visas; doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, engineers, judges, prosecutors, university teachers, media people, pilots, system analysts, software programmers, managers, businesspeople, diplomats, corporate owners and representatives as well as holders of the Saudi premium residency permits.