Chip Mong Group VP Dell talks travel sector

Chip Mong Group, one of the largest homegrown conglomerates, clinched an agreement with Chicago, US-based Hyatt Hotels Corp in 2016 to build the five-star Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh on Street 178 in Daun Penh district’s Phsar Kandal II commune.

The hotel was scheduled to open this year.

 

But as the Covid-19 crisis ravaged the tourism sector domestically and internationally, hotel shutdowns, bankrupt airlines and business closures became the norm, with unemployment intensifying.

Chip Mong Group senior vice-president Simon Dell sat down with The Post’s Rann Reuy to discuss the hotel project and discuss the outlook for travel in the future.

 

How has Covid-19 affected construction of the project?

We have felt some impact stemming from Covid-19, mainly to our material supply. Naturally, we had suppliers for many items of furniture, fixtures and fittings from around the world. Factory closures in Vietnam, China and elsewhere have had an adverse effect on our project.

But now they are open and running again, putting an end to a couple of months of inactivity. When we needed professionals to install something, maybe some lighting or some of the more complicated IT systems, they could not travel here. These obstacles have helped solidify our confidence in dealing with them.http://https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/chip-mong-group-vp-dell-talks-travel-sector