Cambodia – Tropical storms increase damages to tourism sector

Kep Province – Cambodia 31.10.2020

Touristic shops and restaurant owners in Kep Province, northeastern Cambodia, are facing grim conditions due to tropical storms as well as the impact of the pandemic. Kep Crab market has always been crowded with local customers and visitors on public holidays and even at the weekends. Visitors attend this market to enjoy fresh seafood, local products, and souvenirs, besides, to have picnics on the beach with their families and friends. This year, the slackness prevailed in the market, and it turned from being crowded with local visitors and tourists to an abandoned market whose vendors hardly earn one dollar a day. Despite the official holiday that starts from October 29th to November 02nd for King’s Coronation Day and the Water Festival, vendors have stocked more shrimps, crabs, and squids for visitors nevertheless, they have not received as many visitors as they expected due to rain and storms. According to the Ministry of Water Resource and Meteorology’s announcement on their Facebook page, Cambodia will be affected by rain and storms from October 28th till November 02nd.