Asia’s tourist hot spots suffer as European travellers stay away due to war impact
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Tourists at the quieter-than-usual Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on June 17.
PHOTO: LAUREN DECICCA/NYTIMES
John Yoon and Muktita Suhartono
- The war in the Middle East has caused flight disruptions and high airfares, leading to a sharp drop in European tourists visiting South-east Asia destinations like Cambodia and Thailand.
- Local tourism workers face severe income losses, forcing many to cut expenses drastically.
- Some areas like Bali remain more stable due to visitors from other countries.
AI generated
SIEM REAP, Cambodia – Khon Mony normally shuttles at least four groups of tourists on his tuk-tuk to the ancient stone spires of Angkor Wat in Cambodia each week. But in the whole of May, he did not get a single customer.
He blames the war raging more than 4,800km away in the Middle East.
