The Ministry of Tourism denied local media reports that the Apsara Angkor Resort in Siem Reap province had been forced to close due to a drop in foreign tourist arrivals. Photo by Apsara Angkor Resort
The Ministry of Tourism on Thursday denied local media reports that the Apsara Angkor Resort in Siem Reap province had been forced to close due to a drop in foreign tourist arrivals.
Ministry spokesman Tob Sopheak said resort representatives had informed the provincial tourism department that rather than shut entirely, operations were being suspended to carry out renovations.
“The hotel has informed the provincial tourism department that the suspension of operations is temporary as the building is old and needs renovating,” he told The Post.
Sopheak also stressed that while it was true that the Apsara Angkor Resort had stopped taking bookings, its owner was planning to open another hotel in Siem Reap – the Apsara Palace Resort.
Sopheak noted a drop in international tourists to Siem Reap province last year, with some 10 per cent fewer visiting, while visitors to the Kingdom as a whole had seen a nine per cent increase.
Apsara Angkor Resort general manager Teviphea Nuon confirmed to The Post that the hotel was closing, but refused to provide additional details regarding the suspension of operations.
“The [suspension] is true. It depends on the operators of the hotel as to when business will resume,” Nuon said.
However, Khmer Angkor Tour Guide Association president Khieu Thy maintained that the drop in tourist numbers to Siem Reap had led to the Apsara Angkor Resort suspending operations.
He also estimated projected occupancy rates in the province to be as low as 50 per cent, while before last year they had been at more than 70 per cent.
“Siem Reap province is quiet everywhere. It is especially lacking tourists from Europe. Tour guides and businesses in the tourism sector face losing their jobs,” Thy said.
He warned that were the situation to continue for a prolonged period, more hotels and guesthouses would be forced to suspend operations in the future.
The number of foreign visitors to Siem Reap province had fallen by some 10 per cent, according to Thy, who blamed the drop on a lack of international awareness, high visa prices and expensive entrance fees to Angkor Archaeological Park.
In a statement, Angkor Enterprise, the company in charge of ticket sales for Angkor Wat, reported that revenue from entrance fees fell by 15.05 per cent to $99.08 million last year, down from $116.64 million in 2018.
Revenue from ticket sales were up 8.03 per cent in 2018 on 2017, it added.
