Tourism association urges visa exemption for Indian visitors along lines of Chinese arrangement

To retain Indian visitors and attract more of them to Cambodia, the Cambodia Tourism Association wants the government to consider visa exemption for Indian tourists along the lines of the arrangement for Chinese tourists. Association President Chhay Sivlin said large numbers of Indian tourists were currently visiting Cambodia. Visa arrangements were therefore a very important factor in attracting Indian visitors, as with Chinese visitors, she said. She said applying for a visa online or obtaining one on arrival at an airport required time and certain documents, making the process feel complicated to tourists. It would therefore be a good step if Cambodia could exempt Indian visitors from visas as it had arranged for Chinese visitors. This would be an important means of attracting Indian tourists and sustaining those arrivals, she said. However, Chhay Sivlin stressed that a trial lasting four or six months could help assess the effects of visa exemption for Indian visitors. Once tourists came to Cambodia and enjoyed its benefits, they would encourage others to travel there. She therefore asked the government to consider visa exemption for Indian tourists along the lines of the Chinese arrangement. By Nget Pisant