Toyota saloons and vans, particularly Crown, Mark II and Alphard, tops other vehicles when it comes to getting rented by local tourists, car rental businesses say.
U Nay Tun Thaung, managing director of NTT Car Rental Service, said that his firm rents cars according to the clients’ choice and they usually prefer Toyota saloons and minivans. “Rental companies had to rent an increasing number of Toyota saloons and Alphards recently,” he said.
Tourism numbers are largely seasonal, and drop considerably during the rainy season. Because of this, many rental agencies do not own sufficient cars, but rent them from car owners to rent out to tourists during the high season.
According to travel agencies and tour operators, car rental businesses are currently depending largely on domestic tourists as the ‘low-season’ of tourism hits business.
Religious tourism is popular among locals, who often rent cars to see pagodas or pilgrimage sites outside of cities. Even with a driver, renting a car for a day is often cheaper than getting taxis.
Ma Zun Mi, a tour operator at My Myanmar Travels and Tours, said, “We always need to prioritise the clients’ preferences. The tourists prefer to use good cars regardless of how many people are in their group. Sometimes they rent an Alphard even for only two people. Cars such as the Toyota Mark II, Crown and Alphard are predominantly rented by tourists.”
The renting charge for Saloon is K50,000 for 10 hours, while the price for Alphard is K80,000 for 10 hours for use inside the city. Prices may vary if the car or van has to travel longer distances and on highways.
U Soe Hlaing, director of car rental firm MS Co Ltd, said purified drinking water bottles, wet towels, wifi, and safe and professional drivers are provided for the convenience of the clients.
