Thread: Tourist decline continues at Angkor

The number of foreign visitors at the world-famous Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap continues to decline according to the latest figures from Angkor Enterprise.
.

Angkor Enterprise’s latest report, issued yesterday, shows that 1.6 million foreign tourists bought passes to the temple complex from January to September, a 12 percent decline over the same nine-month period in 2018.


Income from ticket sales reached just $74 million – a 13 percent decline.

Chuk Chumnor, Ministry of Tourism spokesman, told Khmer Times yesterday that the fall was mainly the result of fewer Chinese visiting Siem Reap province. Mr Chumnor linked the decline in the number of Chinese visitors to the province to trade tensions between the US and China.

“Generally speaking, the Chinese tourists that visit Siem Reap are middle class, so the amount of money that they can afford to spend on travelling has been affected by the US-China trade war,” he said.


By contrast, he said, the number of Chinese visitors in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville, in the country’s coast, is on the rise. He said these Chinese visitors tend to be businesspeople and investors.


Mr Chumnor pointed out that the number of South Korean visitors in Siem Reap is also declining, but added that tourist arrivals from other nationalities have remained stable.


Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said the decline in foreign tourists in Siem Reap was the result of more Chinese nationals choosing to travel to Sihanoukville.

“When, in the past, the number of foreign visitors was rising, this was mostly the result of more Chinese visiting the province. Now that the number of tourists is declining, it is also because of the Chinese, as they now prefer to go to Sihanoukville,” she said.

Another factor at play, she said, is that neighbouring countries, particularly Vietnam, are wooing Chinese and South Korean tourists with bigger investments in campaigns to promote their tourist destinations.


“To compete with Vietnam, we need to strengthen the quality of services in the tourism industry. We ask the government to get involved in improving services in the industry beginning with border crossings,” she said.


Luu Meng, co-chair of the Government-Private Sector Tourism Working Group, urged the creation of more tourism products to attract tourists and called for higher standards in restaurants and traditional spas.


“Cambodia should strengthen the quality of services in restaurants and traditional spas. This will help attract foreign tourists, particularly from Western countries,” Mr Meng said.

“The number of foreign tourists in Siem Reap province continues to fall, but the Ministry of Tourism and the private sector are working together to curb the decline,” Mr Meng said.

According to Mr Chumnor, the Ministry of Tourism has drafted a master plan to create new tourism products in Siem Reap province. As a result, he expects the number of foreign tourists visiting the Angkor Archaeological Park to increase in the last quarter of the year.


Last year, Angkor Enterprise sold entrance passes to 2.5 million foreign tourists, earning $116 million.






https://www.khmertimeskh.com/5064714...ues-at-angkor/

Still in the bucket. Maybe next go round.

visited early 2000s, fairly basic in those days and not too many tourists

Other temples around the North are still worth a visit, but Angkor Wat itself is an absolute fucking tourist trap these days.

The number of foreign visitors at the world-famous Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap continues to decline according to the latest figures from Angkor Enterprise.

Great News!

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Other temples around the North are still worth a visit, but Angkor Wat itself is an absolute fucking tourist trap these days.

I understand what you mean. But Angkor Wat is quite unique, isn't it? We are thinking of visiting Vietnam and making the trip to Angkor from there. Maybe next year.

The temple complex at Wat Prear Viharn is much smaller but captures the essence of Angkor without the crowds and in a much more stunning setting high on the escarpment with views extending for miles over the jungle landscape. It is only accessible from the Thai side of the border in a bogus national park entered from Sisaket though.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

The temple complex at Wat Prear Viharn is much smaller but captures the essence of Angkor without the crowds and in a much more stunning setting high on the escarpment with views extending for miles over the jungle landscape. It is only accessible from the Thai side of the border in a bogus national park entered from Sisaket though.

Good Tip


Credit

Preah Vihear Temple sits on a spectacular cliff in the mountains which straddle the border between Thailand and Cambodia.
Despite a ruling in the International Court of Justice in Cambodia's favour, military conflict over its ownership continues.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

The temple complex at Wat Prear Viharn is much smaller but captures the essence of Angkor without the crowds and in a much more stunning setting high on the escarpment with views extending for miles over the jungle landscape. It is only accessible from the Thai side of the border in a bogus national park entered from Sisaket though.

Are you talking about Preah Vihear? It's in Cambodia. You can drive from Siem Reap, buy your ticket at the base and drive up the mountain. Don't forget to take a supply of coffee and smokes to hand over at the checkpoints.

The Thais got all in a snit when they lost it and built some silly mock new temple on the top on their side. Perhaps that's what you're talking about.

I'm sure it's impressive, but the Angkor complex stands alone.

Waiting for the archaeological development of the pre-Angkor sites in the central to northeast.

Now, that would be impressive.

I went to Angkor Wat with a friend, May 2018 (I think). Very hot and dry, plenty of tourists - lots of Chinese in the main temples.

Still worth the visit but you'll be with crowds

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

I went in 2002/3 when access was from Thailand only, the road since then was built in 2009 by the Cambodians giving access from their side as a solution to the border dispute in which access from Thailand ceased.

Either way, its a good trip.

Yes it was resolved in the ICJ in 2013 or around there. There are signs as you go up saying "Preah Vihear belongs to Cambodia!" and other rousing nationalistic claptrap.

But it is an amazing place, especially when you get to the top.

Originally Posted by HuangLao

Waiting for the archaeological development of the pre-Angkor sites in the central to northeast.

Now, that would be impressive.

Of course you are Jeff.

That's something else you'll be able to pretend you know about.

Maybe let them finish the demining first eh?

Originally Posted by cyrille

I'm sure it's impressive, but the Angkor complex stands alone.

What does that mean?

Incomparable.

^Thanks.

I'm off the clock.

Thanks for all the info. It is going to be a while but if I can I will go to Angkor.

Originally Posted by Takeovers

I will go to Angkor.

ref: Thread: Angkor Archeological Park in the Cambodia sub-forum

Revisited in December. Quire commercialized and touristy now. Spend a week there. Three days is enough to see all the temples in the park.

Easy, check into hotel, get a guide with tuk-tuk or cab to chauffeur you around. All sites cataloged or menu'ed now. Quite easy to do.

Originally Posted by Takeovers

Thanks for all the info. It is going to be a while but if I can I will go to Angkor.

If you can, include a day tour to the Phnom Kulen National Park. There's a large waterfalls and a temple on the hill. Also the 1000 lingas. It's not visited by Chinese tour groups, so the tourists were mainly local ones and a few Caucasian backpackers and Indian families. We took a dip in the falls - was a nice respite from the heat. It's around 1 hour from Siem Reap - hire a car/driver to take you there. Cheers!

Maybe it's also related to the nearly 100% price rise in 2017? That gives one year idling, then with tourists feed back to friends, complaint to tour operators, most of the hit happens late 2018 and 2019?
Plus Chinese currency issue indeed.

Originally Posted by reinvented

went with a mate when i was young and bumped into 2 hookers obviously having a day out.
Angkor is buy but agree its still awesome

I think I have told this one before but it is quite good so anyway...

I was in a pizza restaurant on the main drag in Siem Reap in 2009 when I got bored waiting for the waitress. I impatiently asked the dishwasher boy as he walked past 'where is the girl?'

He looked a bit awkward for a moment before gesturing for me to wait a moment.

He then went to the waitress up at the front of the restaurant and whispered something to her while pointing at me sitting with my impatient frown on.

Waitress-girl put her pencil in her mouth for a moment as she eyed me up steadily before apparently coming to a decision and marching over to my table with a big smile and sitting down saying 'You want to buy beer for me?'

So I ended up with an unscheduled dessert as she had recently given birth and was lactating profusely, as I later discovered.

It got funnier the next night. I wanted to avoid bumping into her again so I had snuck up the alleyway behind the main drag and found a quiet little resto with various cultured touring farang couples sitting quietly perusing their Angkor guidebooks and munching their salads.

I was happily tucking into my nosh when suddenly lactating waitress walks by and claps eyes straight on me.

She thought she had another score in the bag and unabashedly strolled over and asked if I wanted to 'go with her again tonight?'

You could hear a pin drop in the restaurant as the various farang couples forks stopped half way to their mouths.

I declined LW as politely as I could before finishing my meal in about 4 gulps and leaving some cash on the table before doing a runner into the night without asking for the bill.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

Incomparable.

Oh OK.

I'm told Bagan is incomparable but I fucked up my last attempt at a trip there so it's still on the list.