The Virginia-based, Hilton Worldwide Inc., announced agreements with a Myanmar-based company, Eden Group, to manage two of its hotels, Thingaha Garden in Nay Pyi Taw and Thingaha Ngapali at the Rakhine State beach resort. Both hotels will be rebranded as Hilton properties and are slated to receive their first guests later this year.

In addition to these two locations, Hilton is also likely to open the Hilton Bagan and Hilton Inle Lake in 2016 followed by the Hilton Mandalay in 2017.
“The introduction of five Hilton properties to the key destinations of Nay Pyi Taw, Ngapali, Bagan, Mandalay and Inle Lake marks our commitment to Myanmar and we are pleased to be working with a partner of the experience and standing of the Eden Group to advance our footprint within this dynamic country,” Andrew Clough, senior vice president of development of Middle East & Asia Pacific for Hilton Worldwide, said in a statement.

The new projects come amid a tourism boom, with the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism reporting that more than 2 million people visited Myanmar in 2013. While less than half arrived by air through Yangon, it has forecast 3 million visitors in 2014.

“We see the market place in Myanmar offering compelling opportunities for many of our brands,” Mr Clough said. “We have been and continue to be on the lookout for further opportunities.”

Eden Group is one of Myanmar’s largest conglomerates and was founded by U Chit Khine, who serves as the company’s chairman, in 1990. It has interests in tourism, construction, banking, agri-business, petroleum products and trading.