Chinese tourists to Cambodia exceed 1 mln in 5 months

[geovalin]

PHNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.1 million Chinese tourists had visited Cambodia in the first five months this year, an increase of 40 percent over the same period last year, said a report of Cambodian Tourism Ministry released Wednesday.

 

China remained the largest source of foreign visitors to the Southeast Asian country, accounting for 38 percent of the total foreign arrivals to the kingdom during the January-May period this year, the report said.

 

Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said that China is a huge market for Cambodia's tourism industry.

"We hope to attract about 2.6 million Chinese tourists in 2019, 3 million in 2020, 5 million in 2025 and up to 8 million in 2030," he said.

 

According to the report, a total of 2.89 million international tourists had travelled to Cambodia during the first five months of this year, up 11.4 percent over the same period last year.

 

Tourism is one of four sectors supporting Cambodia's economy.

Last year, the country received 6.2 million foreign tourists including 2 million Chinese, earning gross revenue of 4.35 billion U.S. dollars, the minister said, adding that tourism contributed 12.7 percent to the country's gross domestic product.

 

Cambodia is famous for three world heritage sites, namely the Angkor archeological park, the Preah Vihear temple, and the Sambor Prei Kuk archeological site.

Besides, it has a pristine coastline in four southwestern provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot and Kep.

 

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/10/c_138214901.htm

[Lupatria]

No sinking boats, and overturning tour buses overthere?

[Geoffggi]

Best of luck, I hope all of the Chinese go there....!!!

[Isaan sailor]

China preys on poor countries.  Thailand, with your rising Baht—looks like you’re next...

[legend49]

Don't show TAT this news item.

[Burma Bill]

I would think most are flocking to the casinos in Sihanoukville and Poipet (to a lesser extent). I have recently returned from Siem Reap and I was surprised to see many restaurants, bars and shops closed with "For Sale" or "For Rent" signs posted outside. I know it is the low season but this was the quietest I had seen Siem Reap in 4 years.

[Scouse123]

3 hours ago, Lupatria said:

No sinking boats, and overturning tour buses overthere?

 

They only have Sihanoukville for their boats, and the place is now a Chinese colony without any law and order, all the Chinese head there for the casinos, so they are not interested in looking around a country in a tour bus!

 

Westerners have left and the poor off Cambodian locals can no longer afford to live there.

 

Any Cambodian small businesses have been largely squeezed out as the Chinese only do business with each other. As long as Hun Sen's bank account keeps getting topped up, all is well in the dictatorship and his despotic regime.

[Isaan sailor]

Cambodia has poverty abounding. You’d think BoT would take notice and stop the rising Baht.  With the imminent loss of tourism and exports (and expats)—LoS will experience an economic collapse.

[phycokiller]

6 hours ago, Lupatria said:

No sinking boats, and overturning tour buses overthere?

I think the khmers are little more laidback and that goes for driving as well. they arent trying to break speed records like the thais

[hotchilli]

11 hours ago, geovalin said:

HNOM PENH, July 10 (Xinhua) -- More than 1.1 million Chinese tourists had visited Cambodia in the first five months this year, an increase of 40 percent over the same period last year, said a report of Cambodian Tourism Ministry released Wednesday.

Wave them goodbye T.A.T 

[Traubert]

3 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Any Cambodian small businesses have been largely squeezed out as the Chinese only do business with each other.

Last year, the country received 6.2 million foreign tourists including 2 million Chinese, earning gross revenue of 4.35 billion U.S. dollars, the minister said, adding that tourism contributed 12.7 percent to the country's gross domestic product.

 

You're going to have to explain how that works.

 

[Traubert]

14 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Wave them goodbye T.A.T 

It's a different 1.1m Chinese.

 

There's quite a lot of them, see?

[sammieuk1]

Great news less isle blocking in Makro just a billion more to go ????

[Justgrazing]

12 hours ago, geovalin said:

Besides, it has a pristine coastline in four southwestern provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot and Kep

Don't worry the Chinese'll sort that out for you .. 

 

12 hours ago, geovalin said:

"We hope to attract about 2.6 million Chinese tourists in 2019, 3 million in 2020, 5 million in 2025 and up to 8 million in 2030," he said.

 

There'll be Chinese street eggs everywhere if that pans out .. 

[Scouse123]

1 hour ago, Traubert said:

Last year, the country received 6.2 million foreign tourists including 2 million Chinese, earning gross revenue of 4.35 billion U.S. dollars, the minister said, adding that tourism contributed 12.7 percent to the country's gross domestic product.

 

You're going to have to explain how that works.

 

 

Have you been down to Sihanoukville recently?

 

It's all well and good what government agencies report in the news, the reality on the ground is somewhat different for the Cambodian vendors and small business people living there.

 

Cambodians are always complaining that the Chinese just do not spend in the local shops, bars, restaurants, and bookings for accommodation are usually a block booking through agencies in China. In Sihanoukville, the biggest rise in any businesses being built and opening in Sihanoukville are casinos, of which the real owners are Chinese. It is a Chinese enclave.

 

 

 

 

[Johnnyngai]

11 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

They only have Sihanoukville for their boats, and the place is now a Chinese colony without any law and order, all the Chinese head there for the casinos, so they are not interested in looking around a country in a tour bus!

 

Westerners have left and the poor off Cambodian locals can no longer afford to live there.

 

Any Cambodian small businesses have been largely squeezed out as the Chinese only do business with each other. As long as Hun Sen's bank account keeps getting topped up, all is well in the dictatorship and his despotic regime.

Did Sihanoukville even had any law and order ?   

I thought about going there for my dirty old man vacation. 

I read from English language tour books that the police there required a 20usd fee to file a theft report.  

[Scouse123]

7 hours ago, Johnnyngai said:

Did Sihanoukville even had any law and order ?   

I thought about going there for my dirty old man vacation. 

I read from English language tour books that the police there required a 20usd fee to file a theft report.  

 

 

The police there and in and around Cambodia in general, are fairly horrible creatures that even make the Thai police look decent. Because of ridiculous low wages, they are totally corrupt and it isn't going to change anytime soon.

 

They can't be trusted to do their jobs, and I found the higher up the chain of command, they tended to be dismissive of foreigners when they even speak to you, as though they are some kind of higher species as opposed to corrupt lowlifes. When I had a local address for a bank account, it needed verifying, which is merely a police signature and stamp, they wanted $25 for that.

 

I even recall a situation one time in Siem Reap, my friends had a guesthouse / small hotel and they had a fire due to an electrical fault. The 'fire police '  their name given to the Fire brigade, refused to attend, they had asked for a crates of beer on arrival, if they were to turn out.

 

My pals called the actual owner of the property a local influential Cambodian, and after a few phone calls they eventually turned up.

 

It makes me wonder sometimes what expats on here talk about relocating to Cambodia, if they really know what it is really like.

[phycokiller]

10 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

The police there and in and around Cambodia in general, are fairly horrible creatures that even make the Thai police look decent. Because of ridiculous low wages, they are totally corrupt and it isn't going to change anytime soon.

 

They can't be trusted to do their jobs, and I found the higher up the chain of command, they tended to be dismissive of foreigners when they even speak to you, as though they are some kind of higher species as opposed to corrupt lowlifes. When I had a local address for a bank account, it needed verifying, which is merely a police signature and stamp, they wanted $25 for that.

 

I even recall a situation one time in Siem Reap, my friends had a guesthouse / small hotel and they had a fire due to an electrical fault. The 'fire police '  their name given to the Fire brigade, refused to attend, they had asked for a crates of beer on arrival, if they were to turn out.

 

My pals called the actual owner of the property a local influential Cambodian, and after a few phone calls they eventually turned up.

 

It makes me wonder sometimes what expats on here talk about relocating to Cambodia, if they really know what it is really like.

one of the first things i learned in the west was to avoid the police at all costs, so that doesnt worry me, Ive had nothing to do with them. except the old guy downstairs who keeps telling me hes police and showing me his gun as if hes trying to scare me but I just ignore him

[White Christmas13]

On 7/11/2019 at 3:29 PM, Geoffggi said:

Best of luck, I hope all of the Chinese go there....!!!

yes and all farangs go back where there come from for good measure

[balo]

On 7/11/2019 at 3:36 AM, geovalin said:

More than 1.1 million Chinese tourists had visited Cambodia in the first five months this year, an increase of 40 percent over the same period last year

I just delete Cambodia from my list then, it will only get worse.

I've been told the Chinese do not like the Vietnamese very much, especially up in the north, maybe my next holiday will be among the friendly Vietnamese people. 

[Johnnyngai]

4 hours ago, balo said:

I just delete Cambodia from my list then, it will only get worse.

I've been told the Chinese do not like the Vietnamese very much, especially up in the north, maybe my next holiday will be among the friendly Vietnamese people. 

The Vietnamese are desperately poor, just like China twenty year ago. 

They will smile at you and rob you blind.  I was in HCMC for 10 days two years ago.  

The Thais are not as poor and not as desperate.  I will stick with Thailand.  

[Johnnyngai]

22 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

 

 

The police there and in and around Cambodia in general, are fairly horrible creatures that even make the Thai police look decent. Because of ridiculous low wages, they are totally corrupt and it isn't going to change anytime soon.

 

They can't be trusted to do their jobs, and I found the higher up the chain of command, they tended to be dismissive of foreigners when they even speak to you, as though they are some kind of higher species as opposed to corrupt lowlifes. When I had a local address for a bank account, it needed verifying, which is merely a police signature and stamp, they wanted $25 for that.

 

I even recall a situation one time in Siem Reap, my friends had a guesthouse / small hotel and they had a fire due to an electrical fault. The 'fire police '  their name given to the Fire brigade, refused to attend, they had asked for a crates of beer on arrival, if they were to turn out.

 

My pals called the actual owner of the property a local influential Cambodian, and after a few phone calls they eventually turned up.

 

It makes me wonder sometimes what expats on here talk about relocating to Cambodia, if they really know what it is really like.

Some of the expats walked around their five star hotels areas a few times,

and they think they know the whole country.   

 

The one thing I need is modern medicine. 

Every time I went to ordinary clinics in China or Thailand, 

I always ended up receiving old medicines that are no longer being manufactured in the West.  

  

 

[Johnnyngai]

On 7/11/2019 at 4:43 AM, Isaan sailor said:

China preys on poor countries.  Thailand, with your rising Baht—looks like you’re next...

Or is it, poor countries turn down generous offers from Western countries, and ended up with low ball offers from China ? 

 

Or is it, first world countries don't want to go into dirty third world countries, and the hungry Chinese took the leftovers ? 

 

Or is it, with China's recent third world background, most poor countries look up to China as their hero ? 

[Burma Bill]

Quote from Scouse123:-

"It is a Chinese enclave"

 

Yes indeed, officially known as the Chinese Special Economic Zone and Huawei is laying a new under sea communications cable connecting it with Hong Kong.