The Chinese influx seem to push Western tourists away from Sihanoukville which has become the hotbed for Chinese investment in the country. Though in general it produced a positive impact on tourism sector – mostly thanks to developing of gambling venues – the prices in hotels are sky-rocketing shying away tourists with lower budget. While Chinese tourist arrivals are almost 45% up compared to the previous year, numbers of Europeans and Americans have fallen sharply. Local tourists are still frequent guests in Sihanoukville – 8% up compared to 2017 – but now they prefer staying in the outskirts choosing beaches far from the city centre, e,g, Otres Beach.
According to the hoteliers, rising hotel prices in the city centre are not the only factor to discourage locals and Western guests from visiting Sihanoukville. Other hot issues include poor road conditions and problems with waste disposal. On the contrary, the local authorities believe that the only thing due to which Western tourists turn away from Sihanoukville is the shortage of accommodation. Well, and probably higher prices, the governor also admitted.
In the meantime, out of 210,000 Chinese registered as long-stayers in Cambodia, 78,000 live in Sihanoukville and only 20,000 have work permits.
Western Tourists Numbers Are Down in Sihanoukville. Why?
News in Asia
The province's department of tourism reports growing tourist arrivals while some hoteliers add that Western tourist numbers are down in Sihanoukvlle with the Chinese tourists currently being the major group of guests to visit this seaside resort.