Written by Kay Kimsong
The Phnom Penh Post
TOURISM officials said Thursday that flight cancellations caused by the recent political unrest in Thailand have cost the Kingdom nearly 500 international tourist arrivals per day.
Mobs with the pro-monarchy People's Alliance for Democracy on Tuesday stormed Suvarnabhumi International Airport and on Thursday closed Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, prompting airport officials to cancel all departing flights.
Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said as many as 500 tourist arrivals would be lost by the disruptions in Bangkok, which would affect travel agencies, hotels and other related services.
"The question is who will share responsibility for the loss," he said.
Luu Meng, president of the Cambodian Hotel Association, said the loss of international tourists could put a squeeze on the Kingdom's hotel sector.
"If the problems in Bangkok continue, some hotels in Siem Reap will be without guests," he said.
He added that flight cancellations had left some travellers in Siem Reap without a return flight, and others in Bangkok without service to the Angkor temple town, a key tourist hub.
"Phnom Penh hotels have not been impacted much, but Siem Reap could sustain a big impact," he said.
Kao Sivorn, director of Cambodia's State Secretariat for Civil Aviation, said between eight and 10 flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap have been cancelled since Suvarnabhumi was occupied by protesters.
Mobs with the pro-monarchy People's Alliance for Democracy on Tuesday stormed Suvarnabhumi International Airport and on Thursday closed Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, prompting airport officials to cancel all departing flights.
Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said as many as 500 tourist arrivals would be lost by the disruptions in Bangkok, which would affect travel agencies, hotels and other related services.
"The question is who will share responsibility for the loss," he said.
Luu Meng, president of the Cambodian Hotel Association, said the loss of international tourists could put a squeeze on the Kingdom's hotel sector.
"If the problems in Bangkok continue, some hotels in Siem Reap will be without guests," he said.
He added that flight cancellations had left some travellers in Siem Reap without a return flight, and others in Bangkok without service to the Angkor temple town, a key tourist hub.
"Phnom Penh hotels have not been impacted much, but Siem Reap could sustain a big impact," he said.
Kao Sivorn, director of Cambodia's State Secretariat for Civil Aviation, said between eight and 10 flights from Bangkok to Siem Reap have been cancelled since Suvarnabhumi was occupied by protesters.
3 comments:
Dont panic , this is just a blip on the growing tourist attraction that is Angkor wat. Tour operators will find alternative routes. After all bangkok is NOT the only route to Siem Riep. The only loser in this is the thais who are stabbing themselves in the back.
This type of nonsense dispute will hurt tourism in the region regardless how many routes are available.
let this be a lesson; siem reap should stop rely on flights from thailand to visit siem reap and its world famous khmer archaeological sites. perhaps, this serves as a wake up call for cambodia to implement building huge airports in siem reap, phnom penh and sihanoukville to accommodate long haul flights of larger jet airliners to cambodia. please stop rely on thailand for flights to visit or come to cambodia. it's time to think about more real development in cambodia as the country is changing a lot for the better and better. thank you god bless cambodia.
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