Cambodia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has downgraded Cambodia’s GDP growth projection to 5.3% in the Sep edition of the Asian Development Outlook (ADO), from the initial 5.5% projected in the Apr ADO. Growth forecast in the services sector in 2023 has been upgraded to 8% from 7.3% as tourism recovers strongly. ADB also said that the current account deficit is expected to narrow in 2023 and 2024 with the “gradual normalisation of merchandise trade to pre-pandemic levels and upward trends in tourism receipts and private transfer”

Government-private sector “B” working group on tourism held a meeting at the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) on 19 Sep to discuss issues in the tourism sector and to call for a review and solutions by the Tourism Ministry ahead of the upcoming high-level Royal Government-Private Sector Forum, which would be chaird by PM Hun Manet on 13 Nov. The meeting was led by the Co-Chair of the “B” working group and the Director-General of the CCC, and was attended by representatives from the Cambodian Restaurant Association, Cambodian Tourism Federation, Cambodian Spa Association, Cambodian Hotel Association, Cambodian Chefs Association, Cambodian Tour Agency Association, and other tourism players

Lagardère Travel Retail has launched its “Discover” gifts and souvenirs brand through a franchise agreement with Cambodia’s Monument Books. The first store, “Discover Siem Reap”, has been opened at the Angkor Wildlife & Aquarium in Siem Reap

A fundraising event will be held on 23-24 Sep within the “500 Rice Fields” region of Preah Monivong Bokor National Park to contribute to the construction of Cambodia’s largest Buddha statues, as well as 84,000 smaller Buddha statues, in the park. The fundraising is led by the Head of Wat Pearanasey Serey Monkul, in collaboration with the chairman of Sokimex Investment Group, the firm behind the project. The 108m-tall statue is projected to cost around $30 million USD and is expected to take four years to complete

The Cambodian Minister of Culture and Fine arts held discussions with the Chinese Vice Minister for Culture and Tourism on the side-lines of the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Saudi Arabia on 17 Sep. The Chinese Vice Minister vowed to look into the possibility of assisting Cambodia in enhancing the cultural innovation industry, and both sides have also agreed to form a joint working group to promote the effectiveness of their working relations

The Koh Ker Temple has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Saudi Arabia on 17 Sep. PM Hun Manet said that the achievement is a “source of national pride on the international stage” and instructed authorities at all levels to safeguard the temple and follow the guideline of the world heritage committee in terms of development in the area. All land encroachment, construction, deforestation, hunting and illegal excavations must also be prevented. The PM also instructed state institutions at all levels to beat drums or gongs and cheer on 20 Sep at 7am in all locations, including pagodas and schools, to celebrate the achievement

The Minister of Labour and Vocational Training has asked the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Cambodia to continue human resource development through technical and vocational training to increase the momentum of Cambodia’s economic growth to 7% and to achieve the goal of transforming Cambodia into a high-income country by 2050. JICA President said that Japan plans to increase the number of JICA volunteers from 30 in 2023 to 60 in 2024

Cambodia’s biggest international food and beverages hospitality show, CAMFOOD+HOTEL’23, is being held from 14-16 Sep at Koh Pich Convention Hall in Phnom Penh. The expo is hosted by the Cambodia Tourism Federation, and is supported by several organisations including the Cambodia Hotel Association, the Cambodia Restaurant Association, the Cambodia Chef Society, the Cambodia Food Institute, and the Cambodia Architects Association. The event aims to promote local F&B and make them part of the overall tourism experience. The expo is expected to attract more than 15,000 visitors over three days

The Tourism Ministry shared that the Angkor Wat Equinox, a phenomenon when the sun rises over the central tower of the Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap province, will happen on 21-23 Sep

PM Thavisin met with key stakeholders on 10 Sep to discuss the mechanics of the proposed temporary visa exemption for Chinese tourists, which is expected to begin in Oct and remain in place until the end of the next high season. Honorary Secretary-General of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) believes that visa exemption could increase visitors from the Chinese market by “at least 10%”

Amnesty International requested a Zoom meeting with the APSARA Authority on the relocation of people to the Run Ta Ek natural area. APSARA Authority has requested Amnesty International to meet with them at its location in the Angkor and Run Ta Ek natural areas, rather than getting information from thousands of kilometres away from the real situation, but the request has not been approved by Amnesty International. APSARA Authority stated: “The relocation of people with illegal residence and put in place measures supported by the Royal Government from the sixth mandate and continue until now so that you can have “Legal housing has a comfortable title, social protection, comfort, and well-being, along with much-needed physical infrastructure.””

Director of the Tbong Khmum Provincial Department of Tourism said that the redevelopment of the Luong Preah Sdach Korn Heritage Site in Ponhea Kraek district into a cultural and historical resort aims to promote tourism in the province, as well as add to Cambodia’s list of cultural and historical landmark

The Minister of Environment stated that his ministry Is pursuing the careful implementation of ecotourism as its primary focus. The minister met with the Regional Programme Coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Asia Regional Conservation Hub and discussed four main points, including IBIS rice, community development, reducing the use of plastics, and natural resource management

The Tourism Ministry has outlined its new “BUILD plus 3Ds” strategy to attract more international tourists and achieve at least five million international arrivals by year-end. The strategy is divided into two major improvements: the Five-BUILD and Three-Develops. The Five-BUILD consists of: the promotion of Cambodia’s popularity and greatness on the international stage; increasing the ability to participate in more tourism international events aiming to promote the potential destination of the nation; build tourism infrastructure to facilitate traveller transportation; increase tourism products involving eco-tourism, culture, history, and food; and increase the resources and attractiveness of the tourism sector to compete with the global. The Three-Develops consists of: the development of administration and relevant institutions to facilitate traveller transportation, visa application, and border pass procedure; the development of digitalisation in the tourism sector to keep up with competitiveness in today’s world; and the development on human resources improvement

The PMs of Cambodia and Cook Islands have agreed in principle to establish diplomatic ties on the side-lines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Jakarta. The two sides aims to start the relationship at this type of high-level summit then move onto other potential sectors such as agriculture and tourism

The Ministry of Environment aims to turn the former Banteay Chak Sdech Korn in Tboung Khmum province into a historical eco-tourism area. The ministry is looking to connect it to other eco-cultural tourism areas, such as the Preah Theat Basrei temple

The proposed visa exemption policy for Chinese tourists is expected to be discussed at the first cabinet meeting

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has announced a strategy to mitigate flooding in Phnom Penh during the rainy season, including by accelerating rainwater drainage. Medium-term plans include modernising drainage systems to eliminate all flooding in the city

APSARA Authority has asked tourist bus drivers to park in the designated areas to maintain the beauty of the national tourist heritage area and prevent congestion and accidents

The Tourism Ministry has introduced six points to the Capital-Provincial Department of Tourism to improve tourism product quality for the Pchum Ben Festival on 13-15 Oct, including: • Collaborate with traders and tour operators to improve the quality of tourism products, maintain a clean environment, and maintain appropriate prices for products and services. All accommodations, food, and other services must be clearly listed • Collaborate with the Department of Environment, the Department of Health, and other relevant departments to guide the owners of businesses and tourism services, especially restaurants, street vendors, citizens, and tourists, on food safety and hygiene by striving to eliminate litter and waste • Owners of boats, tourist boats, and water transport means that carry tourists across the sea, rivers, streams, and lakes must not be overloaded and must be equipped with the necessary relief equipment • Collaborate with the Department of Cult and Religion to set up a model pagoda for international tourists to learn about the history and customs of the Kan Ben and Pchum Ben festivals • Collaborate with the Department of Information and the private sector to widely promote tourist attractions and destinations in their locality • Establish a working group to disseminate and promote the implementation of the contents of this circular in a comprehensive manner to tour operators

The Tourism Ministry is leading a delegation to participate in the 17th International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City 2023 (ITE-HCMC) from 6-9 Sep

Cambodian PM and Philippine President signed an MoU on Cambodia-Philippines Partnership in Agriculture and MSME Development, on the side-lines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta

The Small and Medium Enterprise Bank of Cambodia Plc (SME Bank) reported that it has approved loans worth $54.2 million USD for 350 businesses under the Tourism Recovery Co-Financing Scheme (TRCS) as of 31 Aug, accounting for 36.1% of the total $150 million USD allocated for the scheme. It reported that 29% of the loan recipients were hotel operators, 25% were guesthouses, 31% restaurants, and 15% other tourism-related businesses. Of the total, 41% were women entrepreneurs

The Labour Ministry, citing the International Labour Organisation (ILO), reported that Cambodia’s unemployment rate is expected to decline to 0.3% in 2023, from 0.4% in 2022

The Interior Minister has instructed officials to investigate the passport application fee and look into the possibility of reducing the price. He noted that the fee is considered high compared to some neighbouring countries, stating that “the research should reveal that the price of passports could be slightly lower than $100 (USD)”. Deputy Director-General of the Identification Department of the Ministry of Interior said that his department will “study the cost of passports with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to check production and raw materials costs, especially compared to costs in neighbouring countries”. Cambodian citizens currently has to pay a $115 USD fee for adult passports (15-day processing time), $100 USD for children 6-18 years old (valid for 10 years), and $80 USD for children under 6 (valid for five years). Citizens can also pay more for a quicker processing time at $150 USD for a 7-day processing time, and $200 USD for a same-day service

Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau and related authorities to travel to China to discuss the proposed visa exemption policy for Chinese tourists

Angkor Enterprise reported that 498,513 international tourists visited the Angkor Archaeological Park in Jan-Aug, up 350.9% YoY. Ticket revenue reached $23.1 million USD, up 420% YoY. Ticket sales for boat rides between Chong Kneas Port and Koh Ker Temple accounted for $490,907 USD

Green G8 is partnering with the Ministry of Environment to host the Kulen Mountain Trek-Run Season II in Siem Reap on 1 Oct, with a maximum of 500 participants only to prevent any disturbance and destruction of the Kulen Mountain environment. The event aims to promote eco-friendly sporting events, encourage healthy living, and boost tourism in Siem Reap during the low season. The event does not allow any single-use bottles or products in the trek running events, including for food caterers and shop sellers. Pet dogs are allowed to participate in the 8km trek run category as part of an advocacy for proper pet management and raising awareness about banning the illegal dog meat trade

The Apsara National Authority is working on projects to improve the Angkor Archaeological Park, including trimming back tree branches to improve the vista of the Krol Ko temple, repairing and improving safety of a staircase at Banteay Samre temple, and clearing branches from roadways and areas around the temple to increase awareness of the whereabouts of the temples and lessen congestion in major temples

Cambodia and Timor Leste have discussed potential collaboration in tourism promotion and facilitating travel for tourists between the two countries. Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism expressed his readiness to work with Timor Leste to organise tourism activities and exchange officials to enhance cooperation in the tourism industry. The Timor Leste Deputy PM reaffirmed the willingness of travellers from Timor Leste to visit Cambodia, and stressed that expanding tourism cooperation between the two countries will be essential. The two sides also committed to expedite the signing of an MoU on tourism cooperation

The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training aims to release the minimum wage figures for 2024 before Pchum Ben

The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology has issued a weather forecast announcement from 28 Aug-3 Sep, with more rain expected due to Typhoon Saola

Russian PM believes that traditional ties between Russia and Cambodia will be further promoted and developed under the leadership of PM Hun Manet. He also reaffirmed Russia’s commitment for joint work to increase trade and economic, scientific and technical, cultural and humanitarian interactions

Avocado Guesthouse in Mondulkiri said that the number of tourists visiting the province has been “small” and declining in the past eight months, suspected to be due to three factors: the opening of the Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway, which made day trips easier; the economic downturn prompting travellers to take trips to more nearby areas; and the bad condition of the infrastructure in Mondulkiri province. The guesthouse recorded a 50% YoY decline in the number of guests. Yeak Loam Hotel in Ratanakkiri province said that the number of guests has dropped 30-40% YoY