By Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
PHNOM PENH, 13 May 2013: Cambodia’s tourist arrival growth rate
could slow in the lead up to national elections this July a negative
trend that was evident during previous elections.
Tourism Minister, Thong Khon, said there was always the slight
possibility of political unrest and that could deter some visits, but he
believed elections would be completed smoothly without risk to
visitors.
“Tourists often postpone visits to a country during elections because
they fear there could be political unrest, but election time is also
something to witness in the capital,” the minister explained.
The
government-private sector working group on tourism co-chair, Ho Vandy
said there had been a decline in the growth rate prior to the general
election in 2008, but subsequent election years had little or no impact.
He added: “The tourism private sector is in touch with overseas
partners to inform clients of the situation and there is no evidence
that elections will be disruptive.”
Statistics show that tourist arrivals dipped 10.9 during the 2003
general election. In 2008 another election year, tourism arrivals
increased, but at a much slower pace than previous years, slowing from
18.5% in 2007 to just 5.5% in 2008.
Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Cambodia chapter chairman, Sinan
Thourn, said any drop in tourism in July would be caused by the rainy
season not politics.
Parliamentary elections will be held in Cambodia, 28 July. The
National Election Committee (NEC) announced that some 9.67 million
Cambodians will be eligible to cast their ballots to elect the 123-seat
parliament. Incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen will seek his fourth term.
He is competing against Sam Rainsy, a former MP of Kampong Cham and
Norodom Arunrasmey, leader of the royalist Funcinpec Party and
ambassador to Malaysia since 2005.
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