Prime Minister Hun Manet yesterday announced the ‘Visit Siem Reap 2024’ tourism promotion initiative which he said will be implemented with the active support of the private sector and topped with a handful of tax and travel incentives.

Making the announcement during his keynote address at the 19th Government-Private Sector Forum (G-PSF), held at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, the Prime Minister also encouraged the Tourism Board comprising government officials and representatives of the private sector to function as an executive agency to implement the programme.

Listed as a world heritage by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap is the most visited tourist location in Cambodia and according to the Prime Minister, promoting the province would help other regions in the country as well.

The Prime Minister said special tax incentives for investors in the tourism sector would be provided from October 2023 to the end of June 2024 but they would still have to file tax returns. There would also be incentives for tour guides.

“Siem Reap is the worst-hit in Cambodia in the wake of Covid-19 and it continues to struggle,” Mr Hun Manet added while noting that the programme will be implemented as a pilot project in the tourism sector, indicating the possibility of replicating it in other parts of the country later.

The Prime Minister encouraged banks and other financial institutions to restructure the loans provided to tour operators and investors in the hospitality sector. Direct loans from the SME Bank are also being considered with reasonable interest rates along with other favourable terms. For this, an initial capital of $50 million will be allocated.

Cambodia, he added, is also mulling the feasibility of allowing people holding border passes of Thailand but no passports to visit Siem Reap. The government is keen on having direct flights to Siem Reap from other tourism centres in the region such as Phuket, Bali and Cebu and is holding talks with respective governments.

The Prime Minister also stressed about extending a warm welcome to visitors at arrival points. The practice of visitors filling up numerous forms on arrival would be done away with and a single arrival card would be implemented from January 1, 2024.

According to the Prime Minister, the cascading effect of the tourism initiative would bring indirect benefits to people connected to the sector such as taxi operators and restaurants. He also brought attention to the need to diversify tourism products.

The Prime Minister further added that the crackdown on the criminal elements would be intensified to build confidence in foreign visitors. Border checkpoints would be strengthened with more surveillance cameras.