I haven't had enough experience in Cambodia to speak to the situation there, but in Thailand, seems to me the vast majority of Chinese tourists are on group tours. While they don't spend a lot, they are mostly staying in 3-star hotels & resorts that are the backbone of the local economy in many areas... and they spend a LOT more than the early 20-something western 'packpackers' who will try to negotiate down the price of $4 hostel bed. Thailand has banned 'zero dollar' tours. Everywhere should ban caucasian kids with: dreadlocks, 'man buns', hemp shirts and fisherman/elephant pants!

willyhilly wrote:In NZ and Australia I believe that Chinese spend the most per capita. Many are independent tourists unlike the Japanese who never really broke out of that mould. In Australia they hire cars and tour the coast staying in caravan parks and going fishing. Apparently they love their children inter acting with locals at playgrounds and beaches. They are a very loud people but apart from that seem preferable to pommie lager louts, euro trash and aussie housos drinking too much and doing nasty drugs.
Kampot seems to have a worse demographic that Snooky nowadays, it that's possible.

Thats coz all the blowflies have moved to Kampot.

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I would say definitely Chinese...and if you include property purchases by some when they drop in, they leave every other nation standing

Sinville is going to look like little China soon (already?)

Casinos, hotel/gh stays, Orchidee is rented by a company now, and others will follow

The more it looks like China, the more likely tourist numbers from China will rise.

aqua resort in Shv was also rented out to Chinese,
here in LOS Chinese account for 28% of all foreign arrivals ( apx 8,700,000)

The Chinese definitely spend more by now I'd think, or maybe on par with Western tourists. The difference is that the Chinese money stays in Chinese hands and the locals get very little direct benefits out of it. Your groups don't really "spread the wealth". It does create jobs, but it mainly helps Chinese owned hotels and tour agencies (and rich Khmers).

i dont buy this mantra of money made here all goes back to china without locals seeing any.

i see plenty of Khmer families living and working on big construction sites and chinese in tuk tuks and at western owned businessss.

the only reason there are shot loads here is because there are shit loads of em full stop!

prefer the chinese to any other nation thanks

SinnSisamouth wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2017 2:02 pm i dont buy this mantra of money made here all goes back to china without locals seeing any.
i see plenty of Khmer families living and working on big construction sites and chinese in tuk tuks and at western owned businessss.

the only reason there are shot loads here is because there are shit loads of em full stop!

prefer the chinese to any other nation thanks

Is that what I said? No, I said locals get cash, just a lower proportion of it.

Go see some of the big Siem Riep hotels... Or near I live in PP: Queen Hotel on 214. The tour buses show up with tons of Chinese. How did they get here? They came on all-inclusive tour packages. So let's say there are 50 tourists and they each spent $2500 for the trip. However, this money was paid to a Chinese tour operator. He takes his cut. Then the tour operator books a Chinese airline (no other choice). They then stay in Chinese-owned hotels (in Queen Hotel's case, but many others as well. In other cases they'll stay at rich Khmer). Sometimes these hotels also own their own buses or a bus company. So who makes money? Well, of course many jobs are created: construction, maids, hotel staff and so on. However, the main winner here is the Chinese company. Sure, the bus driver, hotel staff, buffet staff and Apsara authority also make money, but it's a tiny percentage of the total amount spent per traveler. The money stays in the home country. It's the same in other countries when one books tours in one's own country (all-inclusive beach stays, hiking in Nepal, Safari in Africa etc).

Now compare the following: the same number of travelers, but independent. The $2500 is spread out much more evenly. The tuktuk driver, cyclo, guesthouse owner and other small businesses and so on all benefit directly from it. Basically tourism brings in money no matter the way, but it brings it differently. Independent tourism brings more cash to smaller businesses, while big tour companies tend to concentrate the money in the hands of already rich hotel owners. Either way, jobs are created and it also brings a lot of negatives such as environmental problems, inflation on basic costs and so on. Also, you're right that things are changing. 5 years ago you didn't see many independent Korean travelers, now I see a lot of younger Koreans travelling, and a few Chinese as well.

Bitte_Kein_Lexus wrote: ↑Sun May 07, 2017 11:37 pm...big tour companies tend to concentrate the money in the hands of already rich hotel owners.

This is just basic centralisation of power and money and happens everywhere.

I agree. Didn't say it was any different elsewhere. Conglomerates be conglomerating and all.

Yeah I know, just stating that it's not unique to this situation and China. With all the Chinese expansion however, I'm really wondering if I should learn some more Mandarin.