The Bayon Temple Smiles a Bit during this New Year’s Eve
- Ky Chamna
- December 31, 2020 12:37 PM
It is well over a year that the Province of Siem Reap has been seeing a minimal number of tourists due to the enduring ripple effect of the COVID-19 coronavirus. So many businesses have struggled too much and for too long. Some businesses have starved and died.
Some other businesses went into an unknown period of hibernation and some others took a calculated risk while feeding themselves with the very little revenue they can earn. For over a year, the chances of recovering have seemed to be slimmer and slimmer.
With the cancelation of the Khmer New Year and the Water Festival in 2020, the upcoming New Year’s Eve of 2021 seems to offer some form of reviving for Siem Reap, the province of the smiling Bayon. Precautious measures are still pretty much in place to combat the pandemic. However, the leisure activities started to take a more solid shape especially during the passed day of Christmas celebrations and the approaching New Year’s Eve. Foreigners—mostly Westerners—had begun to book rooms and restaurants for their celebrations with friends and family members. Decorations full of ornaments are installed by some businesses to attract customers during this holiday season. Some businesses ramped up their productivity as a way to serve the small spike in service demand.
For a short period of time, the Faces of the Bayon have seen an increase in the number of tourists. For a short period of time, the Faces of the Bayon may have some chances to partially feel what it was like more than a year ago. For a short period of time, even though the future still faces many uncertainties, the Faces of the Bayon begin to show a bit of a smile. A quick smile after months of sadness and worriedness. Based on the prediction and the forecasting of some experts, the Province of Siem Reap is more likely to largely recover economically as early as the next several years.
