Government will begin quarantine-free tourism in Sihanoukville on November 30

Compass Cambodia report - From November 30, Cambodia will adopt a sandbox program that will allow those who are completely vaccinated to visit Sihanoukville, Koh Rong island, and the Dara Sakor Resort in Koh Kong province without having to go through quarantine.

Tourists who plan a stay of at least five days at these vacation spots will be eligible for the Quarantine Free Safe Tourism package, which will let them to go anywhere in the country if they test negative for Covid-19.

Top Sopheak, a spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism said yesterday that the Vaccination Tourism plan aims to attract international visitors to the Kingdom by eliminating the need for them to quarantine in hotels.

"For these quarantine-free visits, there are two possibilities. One is that international visitors must travel to these destinations as part of a group trip package. The other is for high-end tourists, such as families or small groups," he stated.

Visitors must fly directly to Sihanoukville rather than through Phnom Penh International Airport, according to Sopheak.

He went on to say that after the five-day tour package is completed, overseas visitors would be allowed to visit the rest of the country at the designated locations after PCR testing shows they are free of Covid-19.

In January, the plan will be extended to Siem Reap, according to Sopheak.

Upon arrival at the airport, visitors on these vaccine excursions must undergo a brief Covid-19 screening. If the results are negative, individuals are free to travel in "safe tourism" destinations while adhering to severe health precautions.

Sopheak also stated that the ministry is investigating the idea of permitting quarantine-free visits from Thailand, which will begin offering this type of tourism on November 1.

This comes after Prime Minister Hun Sen urged the ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry on October 22 to examine into enabling Thai aviation passengers to enter Cambodia without having to go through quarantine.

“The government is currently working on it to see if Thais and international visitors to Thailand can fly into the country without being quarantined,” Sopheak said.

The reopening of selected places for vaccinated travelers, according to Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president Chhay Sivlin, is a first step toward reviving the tourism sector, which has been hard damaged by the virus for over two years.

She claimed that many businesses were harmed during this time due to a decline in tourism as the country battled the terrible epidemic.

"I believe that following the government's declaration, private and connected tourism firms will ready to welcome tourists back." Businesses that have not yet done so have more than a month to ready for international tourists, according to Sivlin.

Source: Compass Cambodia comprehensive arrangement, Khmer Time

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