The Ministry of Tourism has issued new guidelines for tour guides and interpreters.

The new directives aim to strengthen their ability to contribute to the provision of high-quality services, which will gain the confidence of domestic and international visitors, in an effort to support the post-pandemic recovery of the tourism sector. 

In a January 8 notification, the ministry explained Cambodia’s tourism sector is slowly recovering from the impact of Covid-19, with a high number of tour guides – many of whom were made redundant during the pandemic – gradually returning to their profession.

“To contribute to excellent service provision and earn the trust of local and international visitors, the ministry calls on tour guides and interpreters to abide by the operational procedures, professionalism code and ethics that the ministry had laid out. They must also wear the correct uniform, and display their professional ID and tourism license while on duty,” said the notice.

The ministry said tour guides must not play the role of tourism agents. They should contribute to the protection of the Kingdom’s natural resources, cultural heritage, art, tradition and customs.

They must also provide factual information with clear sources and be mindful of the safety of their customers’ persons and belongings when they are with them.

Should any incident happen which is beyond their capacity to deal with, tour guides should contact the nearest police or other authorities. Should they spot any suspicious activities, including heritage looting, child trafficking, or sexual exploitation, they must report it to the police and authorities. 

“Tour guides must not demand any tips from vendors or any other people who provide tourism services. They must not do anything that could have a potentially negative impact on the national tourism policy. 

“Any practice that breaches the standard operating procedures for tour guides will result in a warning, and possible fines. If the case is of a serious nature, their license maybe revoked,” said the notice.

Visitors buying souvenirs at the recent Angkor Thanksgiving event in Siem Reap province.Heng Chivoan

Khieu Thy, president of the Khmer Angkor Tourist Guide Association (KATGA), believed that the guidelines would serve as reminder of how guides should conduct themselves.

“Based on my observations, most tour guides are skilled, and fulfil their roles to the very best of their abilities. They receive a lot of feedback from visitors, much of it excellent. Only about one per cent of their feedback is negative,” he said.

Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Cambodia Chapter, agreed, saying that it was excellent that the ministry has issued the guidelines as reminder, but noted that the rules must be implemented and enforced.

“These guidelines are good, but we need to be certain they are implemented. They should not just be issued to make the ministry look good,” he said.