Asean to delay any visa exemption schemes as Cambodia’s Angkor Wat reels with 99.5 percent drop

[geovalin]

There will no more talks about visa exemptions or visa fee waivers for Asean countries in the foreseeable future as members are focusing on their own rehabilitation plans, the Thai tourism and sports minister said. At a Special Meeting of Asean Tourism Ministers on Covid-19 via video conference on Wednesday, tourism ministers of the 10 member nations approved in principle the Joint Statement of Asean Tourism Ministers on Strengthening Cooperation to Revitalise Tourism, said Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, the tourism and sports minister.

 

The region agreed to commit to a prevention plan, with each country sharing information through the Asean Tourism Crisis Communications Team, as well as seeking cooperation from international organisations together to revive travel confidence following the outbreak.

 

Recovery from the virus was essential before the tourism industry can restart in the region, so members were skipping any discussion of visa policy allowing Asean citizens to travel freely between borders. “The visa facilitation policy will be reconsidered once Asean can contain the virus spread and travel restrictions in each country are lifted, allowing tourism activities to resume,” said Mr Phiphat.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50719413/asean-to-delay-any-visa-exemption-schemes-as-cambodias-angkor-wat-reels-with-99-5-percent-drop/

[jaiyen]

A perfect time to do maintenance on Angkor Wat and surrounding temples. Give work to the locals.

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, jaiyen said:

A perfect time to do maintenance on Angkor Wat and surrounding temples. Give work to the locals.

Yes indeed. recent photo of Angkor Wat:-

 

[Caldera]

That's all very well, but I assume at some point there will be a race to reopen. Countries that will reopen sooner than their neighbors are bound to cash in. This will be interesting.

 

If they enforce quarantine on incoming tourists for the time being, this obviously means that only those tourists who plan (and who can afford) to stay longer will come. Cambodia's 30 day tourist visa is almost useless if you have to spend the first 14 days in quarantine, so they will need to think about extending that.