Dusit Hotels and Resorts, a Thai hospitality company, is taking management control of three prominent hotels in Yangon despite acknowledging Myanmar’s difficult operating environment and weak international leisure travel prospects.
The company recently assumed operations of The Strand Hotel Yangon–Dusit Collection and ASAI Yangon Sule, with Dusit Hotel Inya Lake Yangon expected to follow. According to Chanin Donavanik, group CEO of Dusit International, the company does not anticipate a significant recovery in international leisure tourism in the near term, yet it is proceeding with the expansion anyway.
Dusit’s strategy involves taking on management responsibilities for existing properties rather than making significant capital investments, an approach that shifts most financial risk to the property owners. The arrangement allows Dusit to focus on business travel demand while protecting itself from exposure to prolonged weakness in leisure tourism. The company’s primary risk in this scenario is reputational rather than financial.
The Inya Lake property represents a return engagement for Dusit, which previously managed the Inya Lake Hotel beginning in 2002. The company is now resuming management of the same property under new ownership, though details regarding the timing and reasons for the earlier departure were not disclosed.
Dusit’s cautious entry into Myanmar contrasts with broader industry trends, as other hospitality operators have withdrawn projects or closed facilities in the country amid uncertain market conditions.
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