Finally someone speaks out although not loudly enough. What is happening here is an atrocity. The unbridled construction of massive numbers of new hotels, boutiques, and now apartments has gotten far out of control and most of these will sit empty for most of the year as the number of tourists drops off radically for about 8 months of the year. And the construction sites are still getting more plentiful and bigger. Who is expected to fill these thousands of rooms and apartments? Conversely if they were full the temples and the town would be massively over run, more than they are now as the 3 million or so visitors coming presently cannot be well managed. With giant increases in the number of visitors, the thin fabric that holds any type of personal connection to the temple experience is destroyed. The temples, and the experience one has when visiting has suffered drastically, and Siem Reap town tourist area is crowded and oppressive. Traffic gridlocks in areas that used to be leafy shaded streets. One big problem, not just here but the world over, are big tour groups, mostly Asian, busloads of which dominate the landscape in town and out. The revenue they generate in the community is quite small compared to what individual travelers spend proportionately, but the ticket fees at Angkor go straight into the national treasury rather than to the temples themselves which is most likely why all the big market campaigns target them - quantity over quality. Trying to visit one of the main temples when there are 30, 40, 50 or so busloads of tour groups vying for position in the walkways of the temples is like fighting through the subway at rush hour. How can anyone enjoy any type of connection to a temple in that type of environment? Not to mention that the authorities have cut down the number of hours where the temples are open - what used to be a 5:30 AM admittance time has been cut to 7:30AM except for four spots inside the archaeological park. One used to be able to get in early and experience the temples before the massive onslaught of tour busses pour in. That is gone now along with many other things that make the experience magical as it once was. Solutions won't be easy.
good commentary from John McDermott on Siem reaps future
- Phuket2006
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good commentary from John McDermott on Siem reaps future
In response to Cambodia daliy article( https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/worl ... on-127067/)on his FB page ..... THanks John
"We are turning into a nation of whimpering slaves to Fear—fear of war, fear of poverty, fear of random terrorism, or suddenly getting locked up in a military detention camp on vague charges of being a Terrorist sympathizer." HST
- spitthedog
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Dudes,
The explosion of buildings, businesses that never look viable, and even the increase of MFI's is surely just a product of ultra low interest rates than anything demand led? Combined with China's clampdown on corruption, no doubt has led to Cambodian bankers getting abit erm...creative?
All good whilst the party lasts and the music is still playing.
I've been saying that for awile...
Anyway Siem Reap was always abit too touristy for me and nothing much at all happens in Kampot...
I prefer rising stars to cluster fuck metropolis's such as PP and Siem Rape.
The explosion of buildings, businesses that never look viable, and even the increase of MFI's is surely just a product of ultra low interest rates than anything demand led? Combined with China's clampdown on corruption, no doubt has led to Cambodian bankers getting abit erm...creative?
All good whilst the party lasts and the music is still playing.
I've been saying that for awile...
Anyway Siem Reap was always abit too touristy for me and nothing much at all happens in Kampot...
I prefer rising stars to cluster fuck metropolis's such as PP and Siem Rape.
"I don't care what the people are thinking, i ain't drunk i'm just drinking"
- Hanno
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Couldn't agree with John more. Everyone is bemoaning the bad business in Temple Town but obviously tourism is not even near keeping up with the proliferation of hotels, restaurants, massage parlors, travel agencies, Tuk-tuks, etc. At the same time, prices for services are going down.
"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
I'm sure once Shv is full they will start opening casinos up there as well....that'll bring more people I'm sure
but sounds good that prices for consumers are going down
Kampot by the way is not quiet anymore a lot of construction away from riverside all the roads around busy....5-7 pm riverside road in KP is like rus hour in PP....
but sounds good that prices for consumers are going down
Kampot by the way is not quiet anymore a lot of construction away from riverside all the roads around busy....5-7 pm riverside road in KP is like rus hour in PP....
- Lucky Lucan
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That seems rather naive. A proportion does actually go to the Apsara Authority who manage the temples, but where the rest goes is a somewhat of a mystery - I've never seen any published figures.the ticket fees at Angkor go straight into the national treasury rather than to the temples themselves
Romantic Cambodia is dead and gone. It's with McKinley in the grave.
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Yea obviously Lucan but the ticket money go to the APSARA every month do not show where the money go to a part from salaries on the statement etc. A good friend who works for the APSARA in the agricultural sector over 10 years plus sit at a stagnant $200 a month. I asked a similar question he was clueless as well but he knows the APSARA bosses are only on $500-$700 but amazingly they have their own driver and kick ass 4WD vehicles. Ones at the lower bottom aka the native Angkorians get pay per day basis at around 7000 riel if they turn up for work.
Anyway, yea in term of the housing stuff it is insane. 3 massive buildings being built in my area now as I am writing this from 5 to 7 story high, rumor is they planned turning it into 'boutique' hotels. The place right opposite to where I live used to be a guesthouse, gone tits up now they turned into a rental place, the rooms are sitting pretty vacant in the last 2 months, even when they lowered it as low as $80 they still struggling finding people to fill it.
Anyway, yea in term of the housing stuff it is insane. 3 massive buildings being built in my area now as I am writing this from 5 to 7 story high, rumor is they planned turning it into 'boutique' hotels. The place right opposite to where I live used to be a guesthouse, gone tits up now they turned into a rental place, the rooms are sitting pretty vacant in the last 2 months, even when they lowered it as low as $80 they still struggling finding people to fill it.
EVERYONE BOW DOWN TO HIS MAJESTIES phat kunthea™
2010-15 there was a 12 month high season. Everybody and their dog jumped on the bandwaggon. History repeating itself once again.Hanno wrote:Couldn't agree with John more. Everyone is bemoaning the bad business in Temple Town but obviously tourism is not even near keeping up with the proliferation of hotels, restaurants, massage parlors, travel agencies, Tuk-tuks, etc. At the same time, prices for services are going down.
2016-17 saw high season kick off in December and drop back already in March.
The continual rise in tourist figures is a complete fallacy. In the past a tourist would be in town for 4-5 nights. Now its down to 2 possibly 3. A direct halving in real terms.
The music and party is over unless you are a business at the top of the food chain.
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I wouldn't mind seeing a source for that info, if you have one. I think everyone agrees that most of these "boutique" places are poorly-thought-out and destined for failure, the market being saturated, but it would be interesting to see real stats linking their demise to the vast increase in volume of East Asian day-trippers, which no-one can deny (and which I agree with John is putting the Angkor World Heritage Site back as a strong candidate for regaining the status of "World Heritage In Danger"). Almost everyone agrees with this on anecdotal evidence, but it's hard to get any reliable numbers out of anyone.DF wrote:2010-15 there was a 12 month high season. Everybody and their dog jumped on the bandwaggon. History repeating itself once again.Hanno wrote:Couldn't agree with John more. Everyone is bemoaning the bad business in Temple Town but obviously tourism is not even near keeping up with the proliferation of hotels, restaurants, massage parlors, travel agencies, Tuk-tuks, etc. At the same time, prices for services are going down.
2016-17 saw high season kick off in December and drop back already in March.
The continual rise in tourist figures is a complete fallacy. In the past a tourist would be in town for 4-5 nights. Now its down to 2 possibly 3. A direct halving in real terms.
The music and party is over unless you are a business at the top of the food chain.
I have had two hotels in Siem Reap since 2010. One we sold in 2015 and the other we still have an interest in. My figures come from our own database sources built over the last 7 years. We had a total of 250 beds in 2015.
I can also inform you our average customer spend per night at one of our businesses dropped from 35 dollar a night in 2014, to just 18 in 2016. Due to the openning of tons of eateries and bars at very cheap prices all over town.
If you need more info, then I'm afraid you'll need to hire me as a business consultant.
I can also inform you our average customer spend per night at one of our businesses dropped from 35 dollar a night in 2014, to just 18 in 2016. Due to the openning of tons of eateries and bars at very cheap prices all over town.
If you need more info, then I'm afraid you'll need to hire me as a business consultant.
Last edited by DF on Tue Mar 28, 2017 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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With all due respect, I'm not sure I would hire anyone for any reason who doesn't understand the meaning of the word "anecdotal".DF wrote:I have had two hotels in Siem Reap since 2010. One we sold in 2015 and the other we still have an interest in. My figures come from our own database sources built over the last 7 years. We had a total of 250 beds in 2015.
I can also inform you our average customer spend per night at one of our businesses dropped from 35 dollar a night in 2014, to just 18 in 2016.
If you need more info, then I'm afraid you'll need to hire me as a business consultant.
- Hanno
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I agree and I ran a hotel there for 8 years and most of my friends are in the hotel business. Figures are actually dire.... Sure, more arrivals (though not at the same pace as hotels are being built) but a very different clientele from what it used to be.DF wrote:I have had two hotels in Siem Reap since 2010. One we sold in 2015 and the other we still have an interest in. My figures come from our own database sources built over the last 7 years. We had a total of 250 beds in 2015.
I can also inform you our average customer spend per night at one of our businesses dropped from 35 dollar a night in 2014, to just 18 in 2016.
If you need more info, then I'm afraid you'll need to hire me as a business consultant.
"I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
I thought you asked for hard facts, which is what you have received.shitegeist wrote:With all due respect, I'm not sure I would hire anyone for any reason who doesn't understand the meaning of the word "anecdotal".DF wrote:I have had two hotels in Siem Reap since 2010. One we sold in 2015 and the other we still have an interest in. My figures come from our own database sources built over the last 7 years. We had a total of 250 beds in 2015.
I can also inform you our average customer spend per night at one of our businesses dropped from 35 dollar a night in 2014, to just 18 in 2016.
If you need more info, then I'm afraid you'll need to hire me as a business consultant.
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I haven't seen any hard facts, stats or numbers or anything, no. You guys seem to be running your shit without any data -- “my mates at the Laundry Bar told me this” etc. -- and are complaining about failing businesses.DF wrote:I thought you asked for hard facts, which is what you have received.shitegeist wrote:With all due respect, I'm not sure I would hire anyone for any reason who doesn't understand the meaning of the word "anecdotal".DF wrote:I have had two hotels in Siem Reap since 2010. One we sold in 2015 and the other we still have an interest in. My figures come from our own database sources built over the last 7 years. We had a total of 250 beds in 2015.
I can also inform you our average customer spend per night at one of our businesses dropped from 35 dollar a night in 2014, to just 18 in 2016.
If you need more info, then I'm afraid you'll need to hire me as a business consultant.
I note with some amusement that it doesn't stop DF from marketing his services as a business consultant though, even with, what, two failed businesses to his name, by his own admission?
Only in Cambodia.
Who mentioned two failed businesses?shitegeist wrote:I haven't seen any hard facts, stats or numbers or anything, no. You guys seem to be running your shit without any data -- “my mates at the Laundry Bar told me this” etc. -- and are complaining about failing businesses.DF wrote:I thought you asked for hard facts, which is what you have received.shitegeist wrote:With all due respect, I'm not sure I would hire anyone for any reason who doesn't understand the meaning of the word "anecdotal".DF wrote:I have had two hotels in Siem Reap since 2010. One we sold in 2015 and the other we still have an interest in. My figures come from our own database sources built over the last 7 years. We had a total of 250 beds in 2015.
I can also inform you our average customer spend per night at one of our businesses dropped from 35 dollar a night in 2014, to just 18 in 2016.
If you need more info, then I'm afraid you'll need to hire me as a business consultant.
I note with some amusement that it doesn't stop DF from marketing his services as a business consultant though, even with, what, two failed businesses to his name, by his own admission?
Only in Cambodia.
My offer as a hired business consultant was only made to you. Everybody else can have it for free.
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