Cambodia experiences a first half decline in tourist arrivals

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Monday, 3 August 2009

Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism revealed an overall decline in the numbers of foreign visitors to the country in the first half of the year.

The number of South Koreans visiting Cambodia declined more than any other market, down one-third from 160,400 to 106,300.

The numbers of tourists from other key markets such as Japan, China, Thailand and Australia also declined between one-quarter and 10 percent.

Vietnam was the only country among Cambodia’s top six tourism markets to register a growth, with numbers up 40 percent to 147,700.

The ministry warned that the tourism downturn has had a pronounced effect on employees in the industry.

In a survey of 72 hotels the tourism ministry determined that between a third and a half of jobs had been cut at 12 hotels, and that working hours had been reduced by the same proportion at the remaining 60 hotels.

Around 300,000 Cambodians work in the tourism sector, with "between 50 and 60 percent" employed at hotels, guesthouses and other tourist accommodation.

Tourism Ministry Secretary of State So Mara announced Wednesday that the driving factor behind the slowdown was the global economic crisis.

But he is optimistic the clouds over the sector will lift, and said the government and private sector are working on strategies to reverse the decline.

"We expect that the number of tourists from these five countries will leap later this year because we already preparing to hire airtime in those countries to woo tourists," So Mara said.

The tourism ministry spent around US$340,000 on its "Kingdom of Wonder" ad campaign that aired on CNN in July last year.

So Mara said the ministry would replicate the campaign and buy airtime from TV channels in South Korea, China and Japan.

The ministry's campaign was welcomed by Luu Meng, the president of the Cambodian Hotel Association.

He said television advertising and this week's launch of national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air would both represent a welcome help.

"And we hope the number of tourists visiting Cambodia will pick up from the end of September, because that is the start of the tourism season," Luu Meng said.

He added that moves by hotel operators to cut staff numbers and working hours would work as a short-term solution to combat the problem of lower visitor numbers.

"There will be nothing to worry about provided they don't actually close down their hotels," he said.