Asia, one of the most locked-down continents since the start of the pandemic, is reopening in drip to foreign tourists.
After Thailand or Malaysia, travelers can once again visit the temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia, after the government's decision to reopen the kingdom on Monday to visitors who have received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The Angkor site, almost deserted for 20 months, had welcomed two million tourists in 2019. While the country received 6.6 million visitors and tourism-related income was around $ 5 billion that year , they did not exceed $ 1 billion in 2020.
On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Hun Sen made an unexpected announcement: From Monday, all fully vaccinated international travelers, tourists and businessmen will be able to freely visit all of Cambodia without quarantine.
This decision goes back to the initial reopening plan, which provided that only a few beaches in the south of the country would reopen at the end of November, and the rest of the country, including the city of Siem Reap (north), the gateway to Angkor Wat, in January.
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Two Covid tests to present
Travelers will have to present two negative Covid tests, one carried out at least 72 hours before travel and the other on their arrival in the kingdom: "
When they arrive and we see that they have received two doses of vaccine , we will do quick tests.
If the results show that they are negative for Covid-19, they will be allowed to travel to Cambodia,
”said the head of government.
"
I order the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Tourism and the sectors concerned to implement these measures from November 15, 2021,
" he said.
Cambodia largely avoided a mass epidemic throughout 2020, but cases have risen since April from 20,000 to 120,000.
In total, the country has recorded nearly 2,800 deaths linked to Covid-19.
The country's vaccination campaign is a success: 96% of the adult population is fully vaccinated.
