Former executives from Pandaw River Cruises have joined forces to create Haimark Travel, a company that will focus on river cruises in Myanmar and India as well as handle land operations for Mekong River cruises.
Haimark will sell Ayravata Cruises to the North American market. Ayravata, based in Yangon, owns three ships in Myanmar: the 32-passenger Paukan 1947 (originally built in 1947), the 55-passenger Paukan 2007 (built in 2007) and the new, 34-passenger Paukan 2012.
Additionally, Haimark is the ground operator for river cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia, and will handle the land arrangements for Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Avalon Waterways, which recently entered the Mekong River market in partnership with Pandaw.
Haimark, based in Breckenridge, Colo., plans to open an office in Yangon this fall, and is looking to partner with shipbuilders to develop product in Myanmar, Southeast Asia and on India’s Ganges River.
The executive team of Haimark consists of its three shareholders: Tom Markwell, managing partner, sales and marketing; Giang Hoang Hai, managing partner, operations; and Marcus Leskovar, managing partner, finance and procurement. There is also an operations manager, Laurence Gosset.
Pandaw River Cruises is a Singapore-based river cruise company with 10 ships in its fleet, operating predominantly in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. The company is owned by Paul Strachan.
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