Cambodia Has To Put Reopening Its Economy As A Priority

Cambodia will need to prepare to live with Covid-19 and welcome back tourists as countries in Southeast Asia and Australia prepare to reopen their economies.

After more than two years, Southeast Asian countries appear to be considering reopening their borders.

Thailand has stated that it will open its borders to vaccinated passengers from ‘low-risk countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, China, and the United States — no quarantine will be required.

Singapore, however, has established ‘vaccinated travel lanes’ with eight countries: Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Premier Dominic Perrottet of New South Wales announced last week that the Australian province will welcome fully vaccinated citizens and permanent residents from other countries.

Bali, Indonesia’s island province, has been reopened to travelers from 19 nations for some time now.

While travelers are unlikely to flock to these destinations just yet, this is a positive development for tourism-related firms that rely on passenger traffic.

Therefore, why is Cambodia dragging its feet?

A Country That Has Been Vaccinated, And A Recent Outbreak

Cambodia has fully immunized 9.5 million adults at the moment. It is, in many respects, one of the safest places on Earth.

Cambodia, on the other hand, has only recently emerged from a COVID-19 outbreak that had previously whipped the country into a frenzied frenzy. Cambodia, in what is locally referred to as the “February 20” episode, had a COVID-19 pandemic in a manner similar to those of other countries last year.

In all of the locations previously mentioned, high vaccination rates combined with lockdown fatigue and anti-epidemic experience reassured authorities that they had the tacit permission of residents (with the exception of vocal minorities who continue to err on the side of caution) to reopen borders and allow outsiders to enter the countries.

It was not an easy road. Governments that first felt confident and relaxed restrictions experienced backlash as a result of the increase in cases and were forced to retract their actions. Singapore, for example, recently tightened rules, allowing just two individuals to sit at a table in eateries; residents who are not vaccinated are not permitted to access food courts.

Cambodia will, however, need to press forward sooner rather than later.

“If the scenario persists over the next ten to fifteen days, I believe it is appropriate to reopen the economy and society in general under the new normal paradigm,” Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen declared. According to recent rumors in local media, the government intends to open its doors to South Korean and Chinese passengers first.

The weeks following re-opening will be closely monitored. Cambodia lacks the infrastructure that other countries have and may struggle to deal with new varieties that emerge.

Not All Businesses Are Prepared.

That is why it will be critical for certain businesses to take the initiative. The government and foreign travelers will almost certainly look to Cambodian enterprises that have handled the COVID-19 epidemic well in Cambodia.

Travelers will feel uneasy walking through areas where the coronavirus could be hiding. Even if they are vaccinated, they would not like to be silent carriers and be placed in a mandatory quarantine or face the scrutiny of an outraged public.

Meanwhile, Asian governments are averse to becoming embroiled in international crises if their handling of ill foreign passengers garners global attention in an increasingly interconnected globe.

In these turbulent times, all it takes is a tweet or a video shared to Facebook for a country’s image to deteriorate. If a country’s reputation suffers a setback, vacationers will become even more cautious.

Additionally, travelers will be picky about where to stay.

In many ways, the reopening process serves as a litmus test for Asian corporations and nations’ post-Covid readiness.

Consider The Past For Inspiration And The Future For Resiliency.

In many ways, if handled properly, Cambodia’s reopening process might expedite its recovery. If it manages it properly, people will feel comfortable investing in Cambodia, whether through business decisions, finding the right local partner, or simply purchasing a ticket to one of the country’s numerous attractions.

The country, which was one of the most promising frontier markets in the pre-pandemic era, is eager to re-establish its economic growth trajectory.

Fortunately, Cambodian businesses fared relatively well in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak.

For instance, the fast-growing Cambodian conglomerate Prince Holding Group (“Prince Group”) won six honors, including two for their COVID-19 response. It has gained popularity with the Cambodian government and is now one of the country’s more well-known companies.

Not only has it received recognition, but it has also recently unveiled an ambitious scholarship program, the Chen Zhi scholarship, with the goal of sponsoring 400 Cambodian students.

It has collaborated with the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Education, Caring for Cambodia, and M’Lop Tapang, and has served as a cornerstone of Cambodian society.

Chen Zhi Cambodia contributed 1 million vaccines to Cambodia’s immunization efforts last year, establishing him as a significant leader in the Cambodian business community.

Prince Group is also aggressively investing in Cambodian real estate, redeveloping Ream Bay through the Ream City project, an 834-hectare coastal redevelopment operation that will reshape the landscape near Sihanoukville’s international airport.

Cambodia Must Quickly Reopen.

Prince Group has made a number of appointments and projects a positive image.

It is one of a growing number of Cambodian businesses seeking to establish themselves as a force for good in a dynamic and vibrant region of the world.

Additionally, Cambodia ChenZhi and Prince Group recently gave $1 million to assist Laos in dealing with its rising pandemic.

Their confidence will undoubtedly spread throughout Cambodian society and even make things simpler for the government, as they may bolster any note of confidence expressed to the outside world by elected authorities.

Tourism contributed to 17.8 percent of the Cambodian economy in 2018.

You can bet that organizations like Prince Group are putting strategies in place to ensure that passengers are greeted enthusiastically upon arrival. Additionally, best practices in hospitality and real estate management will have emerged to ensure a safe experience for both guests and locals.

Cambodia needs to reopen quickly, and Southeast Asia should serve as a model for the rest of the globe.