Mekong River cruise business is getting back on track, but at a slow pace, according to a prominent player in the segment.
Speaking to Khmer Times, Paul Brian, owner of Cambo Cruise, one of the leading cruise lines on Mekong River, said the business is resurging, but has a long way to go until it hits the pre-pandemic levels.
“All players in the river cruise business mainly earn revenues from two streams – one is tourism and the other is private events. In terms of tourism, we are at just about 15 percent of normal when we keep the 2019 numbers as base levels,” Brian said.
He pointed out that the business is certainly improving in the post-Covid scenario. “Considering the fact that tourists were not at all arriving here for over 24 months, I can say that it is resurgent. Our group business, our local business and our expatriate business have all been really improving and are really better.”
However, he said the sudden and uneven increase in competition is a matter of concern. “The sudden increase in the number of boats has led to a huge competition in the sector. There are probably four times more boats than those during the pre-Covid days aggressively doing marketing, advertising and schedules. So we have been witnessing the number of boats increase with the volume of business declining.”
He said the increase in the number of players did not come as a surprise. “The increase was expected. When I entered the business in 2014, there was only one company, which had a schedule. And there were no set standards in the business. So, we played an important role in building this business and standardising them.”
Brian also warned against substantially reducing rates by some players to overcome competition in the business. “There are some offering services for cheap rates to emerge successful in business – 2,000 riels for two people and two bottles of beer free! Something unbelievable!
“I would say they are destroying the business as more organised and standardised players with specialised and adequate staff emerge losers in the longer run.”
When asked about steps to improve the sector, Brian said standardised norms must be applied across the sector. “The sector is highly unorganised. Most of them are not even registered and hence they are not on Tripadviser or any other globally-accepted tourism information platforms.”
On river tourism leading to water pollution, Brian said: “Let’s be honest. Until we have strong campaigns for both the people here and tourists, the issue of river pollution cannot be tackled. The government should initiate strong and meaningful campaigns against river pollution to address the issue and that would be the lone remedy.”
Mekong River cruise lines offer an incredible experience for tourists by serving a great opportunity to explore the gorgeous riverside areas of Phnom Penh.
Players in the business often offers many packages including the sunset package, which is a cruise along Phnom Penh’s landmarks like the Royal Palace.
The packages also include buffet dinner with special emphasis on Cambodian as well as Southeast Asian dishes and cocktails alongside artistes performing live traditional Khmer music.
River tourism is one of the key focus areas of the National Government. The Ministry of Tourism organised Seventh River Festival in Kampong Thom, nearly two months ago, as part of its efforts to boost river tourism, attracting close to one million visitors. The festival was first held in Kratie province in 2015, followed by Kampong Cham (including Tboung Khmum), Stung Treng, Kandal and Kampong Chhnang.
It included exhibitions of local agricultural products, Khmer products, food and beverage and other attractions, as well as cultural spectacles, such as sports competitions, along with a tree-planting ceremony. Social activities and events including concerts and cultural performances were also held.
This article was first published in Khmer Times. All contents and images are copyright to their respective owners and sources.
