Both national and local governments are working together to push Sihanoukville's development post-casino boom. Photo from Discover ASEAN Facebook.
Cambodia is following neighbouring Thailand’s quarantine-free tourism scheme to restart international tourism. The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) will start offering quarantine-free visits for fully-vaccinated travelers to Sihanoukville, Koh Rong, and Dara Sakor Resort starting November 30.
The MoT designated these packages will apply to tourists who stay for at least 5 days, after which they will be allowed to travel across the Kingdom after testing negative for COVID-19.
MoT Spokesman Top Sopheak spoke with Khmer Times that this is part of a strategy to revitalize international travel.
“There are two options for these quarantine-free visits. One is that the foreign visitor must come on a group tour package to these destinations. The other is for families or small groups who are high-end tourists,” he told the Khmer Times.
Sopheak noted that the visitors must fly directly to Sihanoukville for this new provision to apply. He added that this rule will apply to Siem Reap in January 2022.
The spokesman also said the MoT is looking into the possibility of allowing quarantine-free visits from Thailand - which is also rolling out mechanisms for quarantine-free travel in a bid to restart its ailing tourism industry.
Sihanoukville is being developed to be a commercial hub of its own complemented by its beaches. Photo from Discover ASEAN Facebook.
Cambodia Association of Travel Agent president Chhay Sivlin, president of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, told Khmer Times that the reopening of certain destinations for vaccinated tourists is a first step to bringing the tourism sector back to life.
Many businesses, according to her, have struggled due to the drop in tourists resulting from international travel restrictions and quarantines that discourage tourists due to additional costs and time requirements.
Preah Sihanouk spokesman Kheang Phearom also spoke to Khmer Times that the sandbox initiative is a great pathway to reopening the country and restoring the national economy.
“I am really pleased with the framework which was just released and provincial authorities will push harder to be ready to welcome back the foreign tourists,” he said.
“Officials will prepare and instruct all residents, especially business owners to be well prepared by ensuring standard Covid-19 preventive guidelines are in place and we will strengthen the services to warmly welcome tourists,” he told Khmer Times.
Cambodia’s tourism sector has largely suffered more than a 90% decrease in total inbound travelers in 2021. The lack of tourists has had devastating effects on the Kingdom’s tourism, valued at $5 billion in 2019.
The recent announcement by the government to roll out mechanisms to once again receive international travelers comes off the back of Cambodia’s high vaccination rates.
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