Academics in Cambodia said Thursday that China’s optimization of its COVID-19 strategy early this month is a “great boon” for Cambodia’s tourism and economy.
Vun Phanith, a lecturer at the Institute for International Studies and Public Policy, a school of Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP), foresaw that large numbers of tourists, business people and investors will return to the Southeast Asian nation, given close relationship between the two countries.
The comeback of Chinese travellers will be a great boon for our tourism and economy,” he said here during a round-table discussion on China’s reopening.
“Their return will also help promote cultural exchanges and people-to-people connectivity between the two countries towards the building of a community with a shared future,” he added.
China was the biggest source of foreign tourists to Cambodia in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic era, a Ministry of Tourism’s report said, adding that the kingdom received 2.36 million Chinese tourists in 2019, generating about $1.8 billion in revenue.
The world’s second largest economy is also the top foreign investor in Cambodia.
Lim Chhay, a program manager for foreign affairs at the think tank, the Konrad-Adenauer Stiftung Cambodia, said Chinese tourists, businesspeople and investors have importantly contributed to socio-economic development in Cambodia.
“The opportunity from China’s reopening is very clear, (and) we expect to welcome a huge influx of Chinese tourists and investors to Cambodia again, like it was before the pandemic,” he said. “Chinese tourists like to spend money for their holidays, so their return will give a boost to our tourism growth.”
Source: Xinhua
