Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association

PM Hun Manet Instructs Authorities, Issues Key Measures to Address Low Tourist Arrivals

Tourists visit the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap province on July 4, 2024. (Picture from Siem Reap Provincial Tourism Department)
Tourists visit the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap province on July 4, 2024. (Picture from Siem Reap Provincial Tourism Department)

Prime Minister Hun Manet called for more direct flights from regional countries and the facilitation of the Siem Reap hospitality sector to attract visitors to the Angkor Wat temples. This follows reports by the public and media regarding the decline in tourist numbers in Siem Reap province during low season.

Speaking at the groundbreaking of a museum at Wat Reach Bo on Thursday, Hun Manet laid out significant resolutions to attract tourists including reducing the ticket fare to Angkor Wat temples during low season, and facilitating direct flights from regional countries to Siem Reap.

The measures also include digital e-arrival applications, reducing the landing fee of airlines, and the annulment of a sub-decree that required tourists to stay at least one night when they visit Cambodia.

“I have seen the views and [social media] posts on the issue of Siem Reap where it was quiet [no tourists] […] now we have to see the facts of the situation.”

“I am responsible. Our government can’t solve the problems at once like what our people want, but we try,” Hun Manet said, adding that the government has a lot of work.

“We have promoted many sectors, including tourism in the last 10 months, although tourism here has not reached 5,000 to 6,000 [tourists]. However, it isn’t zero,” he said.

Cambodia’s high season was from October 2023 to March 2024, when over 3,000 tourists visited per day, while the low season began in June, with only 1,300 to 1,900 tourists per day recorded.

Some 310,000 people arrived in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh international airports in the first half of this year, which was an increase of 36% compared to the same period in 2023, he said.

Meanwhile, Hun Manet instructed relevant authorities to develop more tourist sites and activities, like shopping areas and boating, as well as provide loans to investors to produce items to help tourism.

On Wednesday, the prime minister went in a disguise, wearing a face mask, to secretly check the tourist zone in Siem Reap where he met with local vendors and restaurants in Pub Street to learn more about the public postings on declining tourists.

“I went to an art shop, spoke to clothes vendors who gave similar answers that it has been quiet [low tourists] in June,” he said.

A screenshot of Prime Minister Hun Manet visiting a market in Siem Reap province on July 17, 2024. 

Local vendor Tan Ang, who sold steamed palm cakes in Preah Dak village​ in Siem Reap, told the CamboJA News that Preah Dak village used to have a lot of tourists in the past, but has been quiet for a while now.

“Before, there were guests walking in groups, riding bicycles, but now there are none,” she said. 

She noticed a drop in income compared to before Covid-19 when she earned more than one million riel per day. These days, she hardly made 400,000 riel.

However, she could earn 140,000 to 150,000 riel on weekdays, but the profit was around 40,000 riel only. This was difficult for her as she needed to pay her employees as well.

Tan Ang hopes tourism will get better following the prime minister’s measures to boost visitor numbers.

“If the prime minister mentioned it, I think it would be effective to attract tourists, but I am afraid that foreigners don’t have the money to visit Siem Reap,” she said, noting the high taxi cost from Siem Reap Airport to the city. She felt that it might be one of the reasons why tourists choose other countries instead of Cambodia.

Veng Chamreun, a souvenir seller at Pub Street, said customers usually patronize the restaurants in the evening or night, but not many go shopping.

One of the main factors deterring customers from shopping is the “disorderly behavior” of children, who “caused problems” such as begging or stealing customers’ belongings. Another issue is that some vendors in the area lacked education, spoke rudely, and engaged in scams, which tarnished the area’s reputation and discouraged guests from visiting Siem Reap again.

“Good guests don’t come to messy places like Pub Street. They shop in the night market as it is quiet and not messy,” he said.

Asked if Hun Manet’s measures to lower Angkor Wat ticket prices as well as providing discounts could attract tourists, Chamreun instead said local authorities should first educate vendors on how to be courteous to customers, maintain order in the tourist area and prevent children from causing trouble.

“Most of the time, the police walked past or took pictures and sent it to his group. He goes back and forth, but does not meet with the group [the children],” he said, adding that the children know when the police came and do not cause problems then.

Tourists arrive at Siem Reap International Airport during high season in March 2024. (Supplied)

Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president Chhay Sivlin said Cambodia has suffered high declining tourist numbers compared to neighboring countries. Those countries have created many tourist sites with covered areas which made tourists feel comfortable during their visit.

“During the low season, the numbers decline because tourists do not want to travel during the rainy season. Cambodia’s tourist sites are conservative, such as temples, which don’t have roofs to prevent them from rain and wind,” she said.

She believed that the government’s measures to reduce some restrictions will attract more tourists to visit Cambodia.

“When we lift some restrictions, we hope to attract more tourists because sometimes, when we have too many restrictions, tourists will be turned off and go to other countries,” Sivlin said.

Apsara National Authority spokesperson Long Kosal declined to comment.

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