Some within the Kingdom’s tourism industry have speculated that the recent influx of Chinese visitors may hinder domestic tourism as the price of accommodations in the coastal city of Sihanoukville continues to rise.

Preah Sihanouk province, which has become a hotbed for Chinese investment in the country, has seen huge leaps of growth in the manufacturing, tourism and gambling industries.

Its geography proves strategic as well for Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure push in Asia.

However, prices at hotels and restaurants seem to be rising, with some saying that Cambodians will soon not be able to afford it.

A hotel receptionist at Sihanoukville’s Golden Sand Hotel said room prices have risen slightly in the last year while the number of local visitors has fallen by more than 50 per cent. But he couldn’t say if the trend was due to price or other factors.

“I think the number of local tourists visiting Sihanoukville has fallen because they do not like the disorder caused by the Chinese. They don’t mind the price, but they walk out and say that the rooms are full of smoked cigarettes,” he said.http://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/chinese-influx-pushing-locals-westerners-out-preah-sihanouk