Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Associated Press)-The Cambodian government announced on October 26 that it plans to reopen the country in several phases to fully vaccinate foreign tourists.
The Ministry of Tourism announced that the plan starting on November 30 will allow tourists who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus to stay in designated areas for at least five days from quarantine.
The first such areas are the two coastal provinces of the Gulf of Thailand, Sihanoukville and Koh Kong.
Upon arrival, visitors must show proof of vaccination and take a quick COVID-19 test result. If the result is negative, they can proceed without isolation.
The province of Siem Reap, where the famous Angkor temple is located, will be included in the list of provinces exempt from quarantine in January.
If the plan is judged to be successful, other destinations will be added, and the entire country will be open when the coronavirus is deemed to be under control.
According to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, in 2019, before the pandemic, Cambodia welcomed 6.6 million foreigners and earned nearly US$5 billion, most of whom visited Angkor and seaside destinations.
In 2020, the number of tourists dropped sharply to 1.3 million, and revenue plummeted to around US$1 billion.
