‘Covid-safe’ certificates issued to 66 hotels and guesthouses in Arakan State

By DMG 23 Dec 2021

DMG Newsroom
23 December 2021, Sittwe 

Covid-19 “Safe Service” certificates have been issued to 66 hotels and guesthouses across Arakan State, according to the state’s Directorate of Hotels and Tourism (DHT). 

U Tin Tun Aung, director of the state DHT, told DMG that certificates are divided into three classifications: regional level, national level and international level. 

Sixty-six of 100 hotels and guesthouses in Arakan State applied for certification, and 65 of them have been awarded regional-level certification, while the 66th has been awarded national-level certification.  

“The regional-level certificate means that Covid is under control in the region. The national-level is more secure. A hotel that provides international-standard services is rated with an international-level certificate, but the hotel in Arakan State is national level,” he said. 

To receive certification, all hotel staff must be vaccinated and are required to attend a health safety course. 

“The requirements for the certificate in detail are laid out on our ministry website. So, remaining hotels and guesthouses can visit the website and apply for the certificate. We will check them and issue the certificate” if they qualify, he said. 

The number of domestic and foreign tourist arrivals to Arakan State dropped by 25% in 2020 compared with 2019 due to regional instability and the Covid-19 pandemic, according to figures from the state’s Directorate of Hotels and Tourism. 

The numbers are widely expected to drop further in 2021, with the military’s February 1 coup and its chaotic aftermath dealing a crippling blow to the nation’s economy and tourism industry. 

As tourism has declined, local residents dependent on the industry have struggled to make ends meet, and hoteliers have expressed concerns about the sustainability of their operations.