Some welcome news, the Myanmar government has banned hotel development around 46 cultural heritage regions in order to protect sites from potentially-damaging tourism.
Hotel building to be banned in Myanmar’s ancient heritage sites
Mizzima, 19 August 2014
Hotels, guesthouses and restaurants will not receive planning permission in the UNESCO World Heritage list inscribed Pyu Ancient Cities, said the director general of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Libraries.
U Kyaw Oo Lwin told Mizzima that on August 18, following rumours of land speculation in the three brick, walled and moated cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra; located in the dry zone of the Ayeyarwady River basin, the Ministry of Culture issued a warning that such commercial building projects would not be permitted.
“We are hearing rumours concerning the buying and selling of land in these archaeological sites, so we chose to issue this warning,” said U Kyaw Oo Lwin.
U Kyaw Oo Lwin added that these new guidelines would apply to all 46 sites on the Ministry’s list of Cultural Heritage Regions.
Full story here.
