Tackling Tourism

Tourism authorities are concerned that the role of Siem Reap’s Cambodian tour guides catering to Korean tourists is being usurped by interpreters, with the tour guides being relegated to mere porters. This is mainly due to the lack of tour guides who can converse in the Korean language, and is just one of a myriad of problems arising out of the rapid increase of tourists at the temples. … Tith Chantha, Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, said the solution is down to the actions of the Cambodian guides who need to comport themselves in a manner that will engender respect. … He added that the problem has been exacerbated by the increase in the numbers of Korean tourists. … In a long discussion, the Minister of Tourism, Thong Khun explored the major problem that will affect Angkor tourism by 2020 – the ever increasing number of visitors. Cambodia expects visitor numbers to the Kingdom to increase to about 7 million tourists annually, with 4 million visiting Siem Reap Angkor. … Meanwhile, the third meeting of the ACMECS Tourism Working Group meeting was held at the Angkor Paradise Hotel on August 14, to discuss the enhancement of the intra-regional cooperation on tourism sector. …

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