Speaking of tourism in Cambodia, most people would think of Siem Reap, or more specifically, the Angkor Wat, the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indeed, every year, two to three million tourists enter Cambodia and almost 50% would visit the Angkor Wat. For the past few years, tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in Cambodia. Together with the garment and construction sectors, these three sectors form the country’s major pillars of growth.
Unfortunately, since 2008, the tourism sector has experienced much shock. The political instability in Thailand, in particular, dramatically reduced the number of tourists entering via Thai border checkpoints. The economic downturn has also limited the number of five-star American and European visitors. Most recently, the spread of the H1N1 influenza has sown much scare across Southeast Asia. With the death of more than forty patients in Thailand, many people in the region are afraid that the virus has become more deadly. These factors have caused the number of inbound tourist to decline. The inflow of visitors from formerly top-ranked countries, such as Korea, Japan, China, Thailand and Australia, has hence been adjusted downwards.
To recapitulate the sector’s performance from January to June 2009 and to propose remedy strategies for the July to December 2009 period, the Ministry of Tourism held a national conference on 29-30 July. As my first conference in Cambodia, I found the experience a culture shock.
First, I realize that conferences organized by the government are meant for information as well as for show. The keynote speaker would be assigned a king-sized “special seat” in the stage’s centre-front. All other speakers would sit on the stage listening intently to the “important” speech. Representatives from the ministries and the Prime Minister’s office were invited to deliver long, though not-too-substantive, speeches. In fact, one Secretary of State in MoT delivered a two-hour speech (with 100 PowerPoint slides) to explain the country’s seven tourism strategies. To my surprise, nobody moved. When I had to leave at noon for lunch with a colleague, I felt the whole auditorium’s eyes staring at me… so embarrassing!
Second, it was quite a scene observing people’s behaviours during the break time. Every half-day session included a twenty-minute break with food and coffee. Everybody would rush to the food and grab a mountain of snacks and desserts. When eating fruits with seeds and skin, some would even throw the rubbish on the floor, just like most people would while shopping in the local markets. By the end of the break, the floor was filthy with remnants of food. The drinks counter was soaked with spilled water and coffee.
This messy scene surely contrasted with my experiences in the U.S. I remember going to a Peruvian dinner in the Capitol Hill where waiters would constantly check for rubbish and empty glasses/plates. People would line up for food and would rather eat slowly than to look like a voracious hungry person. My observations in Phnom Penh certainly serve to affirm that food and eating practices are very “cultural.”
Despite all these weird and not-so-pleasant moments, the conference was enjoyable in some ways. The location, Chaktumuk Theatre, was at the Tonle Sap riverside. At break time, it was so relaxing to just stand in at the bank and watch the water move slowly and peacefully. Furthermore, the sessions have helped to introduce me to the complexities of the tourism industry. I learned about tourism as a business, what it means to develop a tourism “product,” what considerations goes into developing a national attraction (e.g. via eco-tourism) and what kinds of tourist inflows there are (e.g. home-stays, package tours, etc.). Also, I learned of the broad policy areas involved, especially concerning immigration and customs policies. All in all, I would not say this conference was the most productive. But I assume that I have learned SOMETHING about Khmer culture and the Cambodian economy after this eight-hour day.
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