Call to lift expat fees to Angkor site

[geovalin]

 

Hor Kimsay

 

A tourism industry work group has called for the government to drop entry fees to Angkor Wat Archaeological Park for several hundred expats living in Siem Reap and who work in the tourism sector.

 

Luu Meng, co-chair of the Government-Private Sector Working Group on Tourism, said yesterday the group plans to submit a request to Cambodia’s tourism minister to allow the estimated 500 local tourism-industry expats living in Siem Reap free entry to the World Heritage Site.

 

He said these individuals, who have already visited Angkor Wat, would be more likely to escort visiting foreign tourists to the archaeological park if they did not have to pay entrance fees.

 

read more http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/call-lift-expat-fees-angkor-site

[khwaibah]

Makes total sense. Something that is missing with their neighbor.

[mike2011]

If they would be just local residents, it would be fine in my view. Resident as in tax-paying private person, not doing business in tourism. So I m with  the buffalo.

But:

Right now the fee gives an edge to Cambodians. If this is lost we might see Cambodians being even faster kicked out of this revenue making industry.

It might a good idea to license only Cambodian tour guides for the major sites - once there is enough personnel available. This would stimulate language study even further with spill-over effects for other industries. Italian, German, Spanish are not widespread. Some Russian among physicians.

 

Cambodia needs qualified jobs that pay a living wage for families. As far as I can see Thailand has done a half-way good job at protecting its tourism sector despite all shortcomings.

 

[laocowboy2]

Unfortunate phrasing - I read the headline as 'Lift' in the sense of 'Raise' rather than 'Exempt'.

[sahibji]

6 hours ago, mike2011 said:

If they would be just local residents, it would be fine in my view. Resident as in tax-paying private person, not doing business in tourism. So I m with  the buffalo.

But:

Right now the fee gives an edge to Cambodians. If this is lost we might see Cambodians being even faster kicked out of this revenue making industry.

It might a good idea to license only Cambodian tour guides for the major sites - once there is enough personnel available. This would stimulate language study even further with spill-over effects for other industries. Italian, German, Spanish are not widespread. Some Russian among physicians.

 

Cambodia needs qualified jobs that pay a living wage for families. As far as I can see Thailand has done a half-way good job at protecting its tourism sector despite all shortcomings.

 

and the world is taking about free trade agreements to boost relationships and promote trade.

[swissie]

Several hundred Barangs working in the Tourist Industry in SR? Printing error? Is it that there are hundreds of Barang Guest House owners or several hundreds of Barang waiters hovering around?

Cheers.