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 in ‘perpetual recuperation mode’.
Recalling the heydays during the 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, 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-19 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, and tourists waited for their turns to get on board. The expansive lake is bustling with activities, from the feeding of the seagulls, admiring fishermen on skiffs, stepping on floating strips of islets used for growing tomatoes, visiting many unique attractions, and simply waving each other from mechanised sampans.
I went to Inn Lay in the middle of January to check out the reality of the circumstances. Alas, the flight from Yangon was packed for both legs. A group of Korean tourists were spotted on the same flight with us. Sadly, on our boat ride to the hotel, during our three-night 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 arises 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 a small poultry farm producing organic eggs – An ultimate combination of freshness and nature perhaps. I have spoken to a few other hoteliers around the lake; they also have upcoming batches of visitors from abroad to add whatever little vibrancy they can to the destination. I 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 just operating with 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-19. This is adding woes to the hotels as the first question most domestic tourists and local visitors typically ask would be, ‘Would there be a 24-hour electrical supply during my stay?’. Even in boutique hotels such as Ville Inle, which charges around $100 a night, the cost of running a generator to affect uninterrupted power supply would be set back by more than per night revenues from a couple of rooms. More so for larger hotels. With a significantly reduced number of visitors during this peak season, this is a promise that hotels simply cannot fulfil.
Recent shortages in fuel supply have all the hotels and other businesses scrambling to get limited 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 the general public to stay home after sunset. This is a stark contrast to lively night scenes as late as five years ago.
Can Inle survive?
Just like in war, speed is essential to survival. Speed of action, strategy and successful implantation. The difficulty here is not in individual attempts but in teamwork that involves 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 to promote, survive, and generate alternative income. Media assistance is most needed to reflect the truth about Myanmar, combat fake news that infected the minds of international visitors and prevent tourist arrivals en masse. Visitors from home and abroad must also adjust their expectations and increase their support for the local economy of Inle through spending on handicrafts and tours and enjoying longer vacations.
Without such efforts, the laggard attraction will continue to remain in the doldrums for many years to come. It may end up being in a slow death and becoming a desert of dejection and despair, doomed due to despondency from all stakeholders concerned.
