Phnom Penh: The Ministry of Tourism has issued guidelines on Friday for tourist destinations during the Pchum Ben festival to avoid further spread of Covid-19. Places where people normally go during holidays such as resorts, restaurants and other tourist spots are required to implement the standard operating procedures or protocols to ensure health safety. People are required to continue using marks, maintain proper hygiene and social distancing – in short, the “3 do’s and 3 don’ts”.

Tourists are advised to avoid going to enclosed or crowded places. The ministry says it is best to stay in an open area as much as possible. The major tourism businesses including transportation and accommodation are urged to prioritize the safety of the tourists. Resorts and tourist spots are obliged to keep track of the visitors by doing a registration that states personal information for the purpose of contact tracing in case of a discovery of Covid-19 case. Different premises are mandated to secure hand washing stations as well as requiring visitors to scan for the Covid-19 prevention “QR Code”.

The government has instructed hotel and resort managements to set a maximum capacity of guests for their establishments in accordance with the safety standards. The boat and cruise ships owners operating transportation businesses across seas, rivers, streams and lakes are advised not to overcrowd and must be equipped with emergency response tools. Traders and tour operators are urged to improve the quality of tourism products and to set prices of their products and services appropriately. All prices for accommodation, food and other services are required to be clearly written in a place that can easily be seen for guests’ information or awareness and to avoid overpricing. In case of non-compliance with the posting the price, business owners will face legal actions in line with the law.