Chinese Seem to Lose Interest to Angkor Wat

According to the Angkor Enterprise’s latest report, issued on October, 1, during the first 9 month of this year 1.6 million foreign tourists bought passes to the temple complex. It is some 12 percent less than during the same period in 2018. Similarly, the revenue gained also fell 13 percent.

The decline is manily attributed to the fewer numbers of Chinese tourists visiting Siem Reap. It is believed to be the result of trade tensions between the US and China.

Yet rather surprisingly, the number of Chinese visitors in Phnom Penh, the capital city, and Sihanoukville, Cambodia's famous seaside resort town which has acquired a very Chinese vibe recently, grows. The overwhelming majority of all Chinese visitors to this provinces are businessmen and investors, hence the tendency. But it is already clear that the Chinese tourists often skip Siem Reap and spend their time solely in Sihanoukville.

The number of South Korean visitors in Siem Reap is also declining but other nationalities keep stable international visitors arrivals. 

The Cambodia Association of Travel Agents also expresses concern that a strong competition with some neighbouring countries like Vietnam which are making huge investments in campaigns to promote their tourist destinations makes it difficult for Cambodia to attract larger number of tourists.

Source