Holidaymakers travelling to Cambodia and other countries through which the Mekong River runs have been warned of a “heightened risk of flooding” by the UK government.
River cruise lines including Emerald Waterways, Scenic, Pandaw Cruises and Avalon Waterways operate on the Mekong, which flows through six countries.
Abta on Tuesday sent an alert to members to make them aware of the Foreign Office’s updated advice about the flooding risk on the river.
In 2017, 5,000 British passengers cruised on the Mekong, an increase of 8.2% year on year, making it one the world’s most popular rivers to cruise on outside of Europe.
The government on Tuesday (October 2) issued updated advice for Cambodia on its website.
It reads: “You should be aware of a heightened risk of flooding along the whole of the Mekong River.
“The south of the country has so far seen the worst of the flooding but areas at risk continue to change on a daily basis.”
The Foreign Office issued a warning to holidaymakers visiting Thailand about the possibility of landslides and flash flooding last month.
Giles Hawke, chief executive of Cosmos Tours and Cruises and Avalon Waterways, said: “As we do everywhere, we constantly monitor water levels and any potential impact on our cruises and react accordingly to ensure our customers are safe and have a great experience.
“Because of the changing nature of water levels at very short notice we do this on an ongoing basis.”
Scenic and Emerald Waterways said they were monitoring the situation in the region.