Cambodia welcomes 1.26 million visitors, most from Thailand

Of the January-September arrivals, 946,125 or 74.75% declared “holiday” as their purpose of visit, 64,359 or 21.40% marked “business”, while 48,737 or 3.85 indicated other reasons.

Thailand accounted for 462,705 or 36.56% of visitors (444,943 holidays; 16,814 business; 948 other) – up 617.83% year-on-year and 60.61% above the corresponding period in 2019. Vietnam, meanwhile, had 285,163 or 22.53% (208,333 holidays; 76,461 business; 369 other), up 3,628.11% on-year but down 55.25% versus the 2019 period.

Visitors from China accounted for 4.93% of the total or 62,425, followed by Indonesia (49,903; 3.94%), the US (49,802; 3.93%), Laos (38,783; 3.06%), South Korea (36,404; 2.88%), Malaysia (34,438; 2.72%), France (31,157; 2.46%) and the UK (22,471; 1.78%).

September alone accounted for 21.13% of the nine-month total for international visitors, at 267,500, up 4.98% over August (254,813), which was up 7.65% from July (236,697).

If the number of international visitors for each remaining month this year is equal to or greater than the September figure, then the entire year will have seen more than 2.07 million visitors or 3.41% more than the estimates provided by the ministry last month.

Angkor Tourist Guides Association president Khieu Thy told The Post on October 30 that the number of foreign tourists visiting Angkor Wat has risen significantly in recent months, noting that most were from bordering countries, especially Thailand.

Thy claimed that since Covid-19 restrictions were rolled back “almost a year ago”, the uptick in visitors from Thailand and other nearby countries has been “overwhelming”.

Even without as many travellers from more distant destinations as before, the Cambodian tourism sector has remained sustainable thanks to tourists from neighbouring countries, he said.

“We expect there will soon be many more holidaymakers from countries farther away,” he said.

According to the ministry, most of the January-September international visitors arrived by land at 788,580 or 62.30%, followed by air (468,889; 37.04%) and waterways (8,303; 0.66%).

Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA) president Chhay Sivlin argued that more travel facilitation measures for residents of nearby countries need to be adopted.

She explained that, for the time being, each jurisdiction’s tourism sector will be mainly dependent on internal and regional travel, amid the current global uncertainty tied to geopolitical and economic shocks as well as lingering Covid-19 disruptions.

“Visitors from neighbouring countries are a good starting point for the post-Covid-19 tourism recovery. Although they don’t spend as much as guests from European and American countries, their presence is very important at this time,” she said.

One such travel facilitation measure considered by government officials is a pilot scheme that would allow Thai tourists with official residence in any of the seven provinces that border Cambodia to travel overland to Siem Reap, especially Angkor Archaeological Park, with only a border pass and not a passport.

The idea was raised at a September 19 plenary meeting of the inter-ministerial commission tasked with facilitating travel into Cambodia at all ports of entry, which was presided over by its chairman Tourism Minister Thong Khon.

Siem Reap does not border Thailand, which would require participants of the scheme to enter Cambodia through one of the seven provinces along the frontier.

Following the meeting, Tourism Ministry’s secretary of state Hor Sarun, who is also deputy chairman of the commission, said that Khon was looking to make a formal request to the government for the scheme. No updates on the request were immediately available.

Sarun claimed that Cambodia would greatly benefit if Thai holidaymakers can enter the country more freely. “Some Thais want to see Angkor Wat, but they lack a passport. Now, those living in border provinces can apply for a border pass and visit,” he said.

He explained that residents of Thailand’s Sa Kaew or Surin provinces could make their way into Siem Reap via Cambodia’s Banteay Meanchey or Oddar Meanchey provinces, respectively.

The seven Thai provinces that border Cambodia are Trat, Chanthaburi, Sa Kaew, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchatani. The seven Cambodian provinces that border Thailand are Koh Kong, Pursat, Battambang, Pailin, Banteay Meanchey, Oddar Meanchey and Preah Vihear.

The Phnom Penh Post

Asia News Network