The economic downturn is taking it’s toll in visitors to Angkor – a 14% drop for the first four months of the year – and it seems to be causing a sense of alarm among the tourist sector in Angkor. Besides installing lights to extend the visiting hours to the temples, the Apsara Authority will be revising its ticket prices aimed at getting tourists to stay longer at Siem Reap; the Tourism Ministry has also asked tour operators in Siem Reap to reduce their prices by 20% to attract more tourists in the traditional low season that runs from now until September.
photo credit: Carnaval King 08
Angkor Wat visitor fees adjusted in bid to encourage more tourism
Phnom Penh Post, 27 May 2009
Govt requests tourism price drop for recovery
Phnom Penh Post, 2 June 2009
After much deliberation, the Apsara Authority has chosen July 1 to launch a new ticketing structure designed to keep tourists longer.
LONG-AWAITED changes to the Apsara Authority’s rigid Angkor temple ticketing structure are to become official on July 1, according to a letter sent by the authority to organisations, including the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents.
The new ticketing will allow US$40 passes to be valid for a week instead of a three-day period, while $60 tickets, once weeklong, will be valid for use over a month.
The letter, signed by Apsara Director General Bun Narith, said the changes have been introduced to “reduce the influence of the world economic problem” and to get tourists to stay longer.
Tourism groups have intensely lobbied for a change to the ticket structure, saying giving tourists an incentive to extend their stay in the Kingdom would be a significant economic enhancement and stimulus to the tourism sector.
