Thourn Sinan – chairman of IMCT (International Management Cooperation Team) Co Ltd and the Pacific Asia Travel Association Cambodia Chapter (PATACC), sees tourism policy as hugely important in guiding the recovery of the Kingdom’s tourism sector, arguably the industry hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Post sat down with Sinan to discuss the new policy and several issues related to the post-pandemic recovery of the tourism sector.

The government has been preparing a draft “Policy on Special Tourism” with widespread consultation. What do you think about the policy?

I am grateful to the government for establishing the policy – I think it will be beneficial for Cambodia and will attract investment as well as long-stay tourists.

However, I have some points that I would like the government to consider. I know that in this project, they have offered a minimum of 100ha to investors. I think they should consider lowering the requirement to 10ha, as it would attract more local investment.

They should also clarify exactly what rights those who invest in these special zones will have.

I support the decision to not allow these zones in border areas, but would like to know what nationality the government is expecting to invest.

How do these special tourist zones differ from ordinary resorts?

The difference is that the special tourist zone refers to a newly developed place which combines nature and new housing. Guests will be able to purchase holiday homes here and stay much longer than regular tourists.

What are your expectations for this policy, and will the private sector benefit from it?

Not only the private sector but also the indirect state will benefit greatly from this policy. As we all know, there are more than 4 million expats living in Thailand. Every year, the families of these expats visit Thailand, providing a significant boost to tourist numbers. This is a major benefit of having long term tourists.

How long do you expect it to be before international tourist numbers are restored to their pre-Covid-19 numbers?https://www.phnompenhpost.com/business/special-tourism-policy-will-attract-long-stay-tourists-sinan