Idled tourism workers sought any short-term work opportunities to make ends meet. In Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor Wat and other attractions, many women — who were disproportionately affected by layoffs — left the city, hoping to find jobs in the garment industry in Phnom Penh. After the first lockdown in April , street vendors, taxi drivers, and tuk-tuk drivers felt less affected by the pandemic because domestic tourism and daily life continued.
Some food-related businesses, such as restaurants and street vendors in Phnom Penh, generated income through online delivery platforms. However, online is not an option for tourism businesses that cannot offer takeout food or virtual services. Since the crisis began, Southeast Asian governments have provided a range of packages to support businesses in weathering the pandemic.
However, communication about assistance and how to access it has often been inadequate. Cambodia has provided direct support, such as cash for laid-off workers, and indirect support, such as debt restructuring.
Unregistered businesses do not currently qualify for support, yet they make up a large share of employers and workers. Some said they lacked information on the programs, especially process and eligibility details, while others found the application procedures difficult to navigate. Search for Car Rental Pick-up Location. Drop-off Location. Pick-up Date. Pick-up Time. Drop-off Date. Drop-off Time.
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Employed or independent, Cambodian workers said they suffered further during the online gambling ban and pandemic in early , when tourism to the city and expatriate business dropped considerably.
Although some casinos resumed business late last year, street vendors and drivers say they can only occupy limited areas, as police block vendors from selling at beaches and private hotels, or businesses prevent drivers from waiting at certain locations.
The industry has also brought bigger dangers : reports of fraudulent gambling rings, violent attacks, kidnappings, and murders circulated through local media ahead of the ban. The online gambling ban helped law enforcement catch up to the metastasizing crime in Sihanoukville, but gang-related crime is still reported regularly and online casinos are still found operating illegally following the ban. The Chinese Embassy in Cambodia warned mainland Chinese passport-holders not to gamble in Cambodian casinos in January after a number of gambling-related deaths circulated in local media, yet it remains unclear how this could be enforced given the low number of travellers at that time.
Casinos and the tourism they drive bring revenue to the country, with one Ministry of Economy and Finance representative estimating that the industry contributed 56 million dollars in tax revenue in The new income was also accompanied by some negative sentiment towards Chinese nationals for their association with the crime and bad behaviour of the casino industry.
Given the economic and diplomatic gains that Chinese mass tourism allows, a tourism industry expert suggests embracing the trend while doing more to regulate industry players and prevent negative impacts. The sheer volume of new visitors into Cambodia had immediate impacts on the economy, says Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents. The tourism industry generated nearly 5 billion US dollars in , which would allow Siem Reap—a province otherwise dependent on farming and light manufacturing—to embark on a major infrastructure project started in late However, there were a number of adverse impacts to the tourism industry as well, Sivlin adds.
Sivlin noted that tour guides often have to speak loudly to large groups, sometimes with a megaphone, and that the crowds are considered unpleasant to many small-group visitors, particularly Western tourists. The mass tour participants themselves do not get sufficient information about the temples and cannot explore at their own pace in this format, which also diminishes their own experience.
Sivlin noted that Cambodia lacked sufficient Chinese-speaking tour guides to cater to this tourist population. For those who were able to cater to them, they found themselves strained by the amount of people coming in, and the quality of hospitality and service declined as a result. Mass tourism groups also brought a more sinister trend: zero-dollar tourism, where group tour participants pay a Chinese company for a package tour upfront that covers everything they need, therefore spending little money in the country.
The only money they spend is at overpriced souvenir shops that collude with the tour company, with tour guides pressuring tourists to buy at their chosen shops. While the government has said it would ban zero-dollar tour operators, little information has been made available as to how many firms were inspected and closed, what those suspensions entail, nor the financial consequences of zero-dollar tourism, leading to questions about how these regulations will be enforced in the future.
The word of zero-dollar tourism in Cambodia spread as well, resulting in fewer people booking group tours towards the end of While some tourists may not have been willing to travel during the US-China trade war, Sivlin also believed Cambodia could use some additional attractions beyond Angkor Park in order to draw visitors to return for second or third visits.
Government agencies could start by supporting and incentivizing more tourism employees to learn Chinese language and tourism customs through training programmes, boosting the number of tour operators and guides who can facilitate these tours and easing strain on the current industry.
A number of regulations could also control the unorganized aspects of group tours—for example, airports could create a better space to receive and process tour groups, while state-employed Angkor Park staff could establish occupancy limits to reduce crowding and point small tour groups to other areas if they seem bothered by the size of the crowd. Health and safety, particularly on boat tours, can also be improved and regulated, she suggests. The government could further incentivize travel for tour groups by controlling costs at souvenir stores to prevent overpricing, while lowering Angkor Park ticket costs for groups.
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