Nearly 1.8 million domestic and international tourists travelled across Cambodia during the three-day Pchum Ben festival, with five provinces each welcoming at least 100,000 visitors. However, there were also negative reports regarding overpriced food in some tourist areas.

Data from the Ministry of Tourism revealed that from October 1-3, a total of 1,780,077 tourists (just 37,091 of them foreigners) travelled within Cambodia.

The five provinces that welcomed the most tourists were Battambang (216,179), Siem Reap (180,893), Preah Sihanouk (170,513), Kampong Chhnang (153,911), and Kampot (123,908).

Thourn Sinan, president of the Cambodia Chapter of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), told The Post on October 7 that the end of concerns about Covid-19, the gradual recovery of the economy, and the flow of travellers contributed to the large number of tourists during the 2024 Pchum Ben festival, compared to the past 3-4 years. 

He noted that the increase in travellers was a positive sign for Cambodia's tourism sector.

However, he raised concerns about reports of price gauging, particularly in certain tourist areas in Kep province during the festival.

He emphasised that these issues negatively impact the tourism industry, despite local authorities explaining that they conduct regular efforts to address price regulations with vendors.

Kep provincial governor Som Piseth took to social media on the night of October 4 to express his deep gratitude to the people of Kep for their warm hospitality, especially to the domestic and international tourists who visited, stayed, and enjoyed their time in Kep during the three-day festival. The province greeted 79,538 guests, a 26.11% increase on 2023.

He added that despite their best efforts to ensure perfect conditions, there were still some shortcomings and issues, such as criticisms related to food prices in Kep.

“The provincial administration accepts all constructive criticism from citizens and tourists, and will use it as a foundation for improvements and to address any concerns. This is something the administration is continually focused on, as we aim to make Kep more attractive and further develop potential tourist areas for future visits,” he said.

Chhun Chan Vanthon, director of administration at Kep Provincial Hall, told The Post that the provincial authorities consistently work to educate businesses about service and food pricing. He noted that, despite efforts to resolve the issue, some challenges still remain, and the authorities are committed to further improving the situation.