Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism is currently looking at the practicability of lifting visa requirement for cruise tourists arriving at its Sihanoukville port. Alan Lam reports.
The pristine resort of Sihanoukville is the country’s only viable ocean cruise terminal and the destination’seconomy is becoming increasingly dependent on tourism, especially on visitors from Southeast Asia and China. Following the recent decision by Vietnam to grant visa-free entry to its Phu Quoc Island - the nearest cruise port to Sihanoukville -Cambodia intends to keep in step with the latest development in the region in an effort to attract cruise traffics to its shores.
Moreover, according to the ministry, the Sihanoukville facility will be upgraded, adding a restaurant and a shopping mall. The port is being included in increasingly number of cruise itineraries in the region. Lifting the visa requirement will accelerate its growth, as it will mean the fall of yet another artificial barrier for cruise business.
Cambodia is a member state of ASEAN. The association is synchronizing many of its policies among its members. It is reasonable to expect that barriers of this kind will continue to tumble as the countries recognise the benefits of cruise tourism to their economies.
