Chiang Mai – The tourism industry in Cyclone Nargis hit Burma is yet to recover though the peak season is drawing close.

The tourism industry in Burma took a nose dive after the saffron revolution in September 2007 and by the killer cyclone, devastating parts of the country.

Sandar, spokeswoman of a leading tour company, said her companies like many others in the country are vigorously engaging in aggressive marketing to invite tourists to come into the country as the peak season for tourism in Burma draws near.

"In earlier years by this time we registered full bookings. But this year we have got only a few bookings despite the promotion," Sandar said.

She added that, unlike previous years, while there are several individual tours booked, package tours, which gives most benefit to tour operators, sees a decline as only a few are booked so far, for the peak season from September to mid-March.

Reportedly, several tour companies and operators have arranged special tour plans at discounted prices with extra services for this season to attract more tourists.

Similarly, the car renting and bus service businesses are reportedly suffered heavy loss as the rate of cancellations of bookings grow high. While some tour plans have been shortened and reduced, several are cancelled.

"In previous years, our cars were fully booked until December. This year we do not have bookings even for next month. The car renting business is slowing down," a car operator in Rangoon told Mizzima.

He said, in earlier years, most of his cars are booked by different tour companies that it was even difficult for him to spare a few cars and buses for emergency uses.

"But now we have to worry about the lack of earning this season," he added.

In connection with the decline of tourists in Burma, hotel and guest house businesses in major tourist spots including the country's former capital Rangoon, historic city of Mandalay and Pagan and the beautiful natural Inle Lake in Shan state, are also in the doldrums with fewer reservations.

"There are almost no reservations at all. In previous years, our hotel's occupancy rate was full till November," a reservation staff from a leading hotel in Inle Lake told Mizzima.

"We dare not book either hotels or cars. We have had three to four cancellations. We don't know what will happen next. We hope the situation will normalize," a spokesperson for a tour agency said.

With several tour companies' only receiving enquiries and decline of bookings, the future of tour guides is also uncertain.

"In previous years around this time, we got assignments for tours. Now there is almost no work till today and I can't say what I will do in future," a tour guide from Rangoon said.

He added that the tourism industry has declined by two thirds since the September unrest last year and a further decline in the industry is expected this year following the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis that left more than 138,000 deaths or missing.

"Some tour guides have already shifted to other works including working at NGOs," he said.

"We had no holidays in 2006 will full assignments and were on tour all the month. Now we haven't yet got any assignment," he said.

Tun Tun, another tour guide in Mandalay, said with the decline of tourism he is now planning to switch his job to other.

"The situation is not good this year. I'm considering shifting to another work," Tun Tun said.

A source in Sedona Hotel in Mandalay said, the hotel is laying-off several of its staffs due to the decline in tourists.

An official at the government run 'Myanmar Hotel and Tourism Corporation', who wished not to be named, said they are also engaging in sales promotion and hope to bring the situation back to normal by the coming peak season.

However, he declined to give further details when contacted by Mizzima over telephone.

The season for tourism in Burma begins from September to mid-march.