The Ministry of Culture will soon seek tenders from private firms to renovate Mandalay Palace and the moat around it to make them more attractive to tourists, an official with the Archaeology, National Museum and Library Department said.

Singapore continues to maintain its leading position in the hotel industry, having invested US$598 million in hotels here to date, according to recently released figures from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

Once off-limits to tourists, the administrative capital Nay Pyi Taw is now being marketed as a destination for international travelers, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism said.

The ancient city of Bagan attracted nearly 160,000 foreign visitors last year, compared to about 120,000 the previous year, Hotels and Tourism Minister Htay Aung said.