Tourism operators decry unlicensed rivals

[geovalin]

Ayanna Runcie

At its first meeting this year, the Public-Private Sector Working Group on Tourism sat down at the Ministry of Tourism last Friday to once again address unfair competition from tourism-related businesses that are not licensed or registered, as well as plan out upcoming fairs and events.

Luu Meng, co-chair of the government-private sector working group, said that the group was working on finding a way of formalising tourism-related businesses, given the Tourism Minister Thong Khon said that only 40 per cent of tourism businesses were registered in Phnom Penh.

“I think a lot of businesses are talking about the minister’s announcement that about 40 per cent of people have [a] licence and he is thinking of working on that to make everyone better,” Meng said.

read more: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/tourism-operators-decry-unlicensed-rivals

[Ulic]

Just how much does a license cost that makes those with a license unable to compete?

[DavePerkes]

The cost of a Cambodian Tour Agency license is around $350- $500 per year. + a deposit of $5000. I ran a tour Agency in Siem Reap for 5 years.
No suprise that Tour operators dont like unlicenced tours undercutting their prices. I left the business in 2014 partly for this reason as it was impossble to compete with the unlicenced operators.

[FangFerang]

They really need to drop the prices on licensing. It literally makes owners elites who hire lackeys at a lackey's pay.