There has been no impact on tourists travelling by air between Cambodia and Thailand following the multiple fatal bombings in Thailand last week, according to government and industry officials.
While Thailand is expected to lose up to 200,000 foreign visitors and $293 million in tourism revenue in the aftermath of the bombings, which appeared to target sites popular with tourists, its effects have not yet been felt in terms of tourism to Cambodia, Kao Sivorn, general director of Cambodia’s State Secretariat for Civil Aviation told the Khmer Times.
“It is an internal issue in Thailand, for the blasts, and it is assumed to have little influence on neighbouring countries. The reality is that flights are normal and the bombings have had little impact here,” Sivorn said.
“If the blasts were in Bangkok, then it would be a different story. It would then impact Cambodia directly,” he added.
However, Sivorn advised people to avoid flying to the sites targeted by the bombers.
Kong Sophearak, director of the Tourism Ministry's Statistics and Information Department said that the government would not issue a travel warning on visiting the affected areas in Thailand.
“We did not issue any travel advisories warning Cambodian tourists not to visit Thailand during the current period. These blasts were caused by internal strife and are not terrorist acts by ISIS. It is an internal issue in Thailand with no impact at all to Cambodia,” he said.
Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn stated that the attacks could see long-term losses to the tourism sector.
Ho Vandy, secretary-general of Cambodia's National Tourism Alliance, called on Cambodian and Thai authorities to ensure regional safety in order to allay tourists’ fears and limit holiday cancellations.
“We have been seeing tourists cancel their tickets to Thailand, since the blast last week. This is alarming, and we call upon the relevant authorities to ensure the safety and security of these overseas travellers,” he told the Khmer Times.
