With its four-month visa-free pilot for Chinese, Hong Kong and Macao passport holders due to end on 15 October, Cambodia’s tourism ministry has launched a ‘Green Season’ campaign targeting beach breaks in Sihanoukville. Industry site Nomad Lawyer notes that officials are urging Chinese travel agencies to sell package deals before the exemption lapses. The scheme, running since 15 June, allows stays of up to 14 days without the US$30 visa-on-arrival fee provided travellers file an e-arrival card. Cambodian hoteliers say Chinese arrivals have risen by 27 % year-on-year during the period but warn bookings dip sharply after mid-October. Beijing has yet to announce whether it will reciprocate with its own short-stay waiver for Cambodians, making an extension uncertain. Chinese tour operators are therefore bundling last-minute promotions with charter flights from Chengdu, Kunming and Guangzhou to capture remaining demand. Corporate travel planners should remind staff that business meetings still require a visa or e-business permit; the waiver covers tourism only. If the policy ends as scheduled, lead times for visa processing will revert to three to five working days, affecting engineers and site auditors visiting Chinese-financed construction projects. Cambodia’s marketing blitz illustrates how destination countries use short, targeted visa waivers to test market response. Mobility teams may see similar ‘flash exemptions’ across ASEAN as economies compete for Chinese spending in the shoulder season.
Source: Nomad Lawyer
