Fuel Crisis Derails Myanmar’s Holiday Travel

The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s fragile tourism industry has been dealt another heavy blow as a deepening fuel crisis threatens to paralyse travel during the Thingyan water festival, the country’s busiest holiday period.

For many families, Thingyan is the one time of year to escape city life and head to beaches or hill towns. But this year, soaring fuel prices, rationing and transport delays are forcing cancellations and reshaping plans. Bus operators, the backbone of domestic travel, have suspended advance ticket sales, warning they can no longer guarantee departures or fares. Some tickets already sold may be refunded if fuel supplies run dry.

Prices have doubled on popular routes from Yangon to Chaungtha and Ngwesaung, with tickets now starting at 50,000 kyats. “We only sell day‑by‑day now,” explained one bus company owner. “Drivers spend hours queuing at filling stations, departures are delayed, and we can’t promise schedules. Tourism, cargo, everything is affected.”

Air travel offers little relief. Domestic airfares have doubled or tripled as aviation fuel costs surge. Hotels at beach resorts are also charging nearly twice last year’s rates, many relying on diesel generators to cope with chronic power shortages.

The Myanmar Tourism Federation admits the impact will be “significant.” Long-distance trips to destinations such as Bagan, Taunggyi and Kalaw are expected to collapse, with only short journeys likely to survive the squeeze.

Fuel prices now stand at 4,450 kyats per litre for Octane 92 and over 6,000 kyats for premium diesel, up by around 1,000 kyats compared with last year. An odd-even driving ban is also in place, further discouraging private travel.

For an industry already battered by five years of political unrest and sanctions since the 2021 coup, the crisis is yet another setback. Thingyan, once a vibrant showcase of Myanmar’s domestic tourism, risks becoming a muted affair this year—more “splash walks” than road trips.

The question now is whether the sector can weather yet another lost season, or if Myanmar’s tourism industry is sliding into a prolonged decline.

-2026-04-01