Cambodia trips lose steam

PHNOM PENH, 9 January 2012: International tourist arrivals to Cambodia posted only a slight increase in November bringing the 11-month growth rate down to 14.4% from 15.4% at the end of October.

Cambodia’s Statistics and ICT Department of Ministry of Tourism reported the country welcomed 265,539 international tourists in November, a marginal 6.3% increase compared to 249,702 in November 2010.

March was the only other month with a single digit growth rate of 8.6%. Read more

Diamond’s tourist bridge goes

PHNOM PENH, 28 December 2011: Cambodian workers on Tuesday began dismantling a notorious bridge where 353 people lost their lives in a stampede last year, following the completion of two new crossings nearby.

The country’s annual water festival ended in tragedy in November 2010 when crowds panicked on the narrow crossing leading to Phnom Penh’s Diamond Island, one of the main event sites.

The bridge has since then been used only reluctantly by superstitious locals who thought it brought bad luck.

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Cambodia’s tourism enjoys growth

BANGKOK, 21 December 2011: International tourist arrivals to Cambodia posted a double digit growth of 13.5% in October, while over the 10-month period the improvement reached 15.4%, according to the nation’s Tourism Statistics Report released by the Department of Statistics and Tourism Information, Ministry of Tourism, late last week.

Thai tourists to Cambodia started to improve after the Yingluck Shinawatra government took office in Thailand. It led to improved relations with Cambodia following months of disputes and border conflicts. However, in October there was still a decline of 18.4%, largely due to floods in Thailand’s central plains. In October, just 10,431 Thais visited Cambodia.

Overall, there were 91,343 Thai visits during the 10-month period, but that was still down 26.4% on the previous year. Read more

Cambodia’s economy expands

PHNOM PENH, 15 December 2011: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Wednesday said the country’s economy would grow by about 7% in 2011 despite the agricultural damage caused by unusually heavy flooding.

Cambodia’s deadliest floods in over a decade, triggered by heavy rains in August and September, killed at least 247 people and destroyed nearly one tenth of the nation’s rice paddies.

“I would like to confirm that although the agricultural sector growth is at zero percent, Cambodia’s economic growth rate will be around seven percent this year,” Hun Sen said during a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh.

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Chinese propose rail study

Phnom Penh, 25 November 2011: A Chinese railway company says it will conduct a feasibility study on a proposed 700-kilometre rail line in northern Cambodia, according to reports in the Phnom Penh Post  Thursday.

Secretary of State, Sokhom Pheakvoanmony, told the local media that officials from Nanning Survey and Design Institute, a subsidiary of China Railway Siyuan Group, discussed the study with the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation earlier this month .

The meeting with the Chinese company director, Zhang Beirui, focused on technical aspects of the study only. Read more

Airport operator calls for expansion

Phnom Penh, 18 November 2011: Cambodia needs US$270 million to expand its three airports if the country is to meet  growing demand in tourism, Cambodia Airports CEO Emmanuel Menanteau said.

Talking to the Phnom Penh Post, Mr Menanteau said the investment would help to boost the overall capacity of Cambodia’s airports – in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville – over 10 years.

He believes traffic to airports, will approximately double every 10 years, reaching 8 million in 2020 from about 4 million today, then reaching 16 million by 2030, he added.

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Arrivals to Cambodia improve

BANGKOK, 10 November 2011 — International tourists arrivals to Cambodia increased by a substantial 21.2% bringing the nine-month average up to 15.6%.

The nation’s Tourism Statistics Report was released by the Department of Statistics and Tourism Information, Ministry of Tourism earlier this week.

Thai tourists to Cambodia continued to increase after the Yingluck Shinawatra administration improved relations with Cambodia following months of disputes and border conflicts.

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China loan funds for Cambodian bridge

PHNOM PENH, 4 November 2011 – Cambodia on Wednesday held a ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the 5th Cambodia-China Friendship Bridge, or 2nd Chroy Changvar Bridge, across Tonle Sap to reduce traffic congestion.

China’s Xinhua news agency reported the 719-metre bridge would be located in Phnom Penh’s Russei Keo district, connecting the capital Phnom Penh in the west to National Road No 6.

The bridge is  parallel to the existing Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge, or Chroy Changvar Bridge.

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Vietnam top supplier for Angkor Wat

SIEM REAP, 30 September 2011 – Siem Reap Provincial Tourism Department estimates the temple complex, Angkor Wat, attracted 1,048,158 visits, January to August representing an improvement of 24.36% from 842,873 visits over the first eight months of 2010.

The department administrative director, Chhoeuy Chhorn, said Asian tourists, particularly from neigbouring Vietnam, lifted the performance dramatically.

“ Vietnam was a largest source market with 188,064 trips in the first eight months increasing 37.5%, followed by South Korea and China that ranked second and third,” Mr Chhorn said.

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Angkor awash in flood water

PHNOM PENH, 23 September 2011 – Nearly 200 tourists including foreigners were airlifted from Cambodia’s famed Angkor temple complex on Thursday after a road to one of the ruins was cut off by flash floods, officials said.

Three helicopters rescued visitors stranded at Banteay Srei, one of hundreds of ancient temples at the World Heritage site, after 16 hours of heavy rain inundated the access road, governor of Siem Reap northwestern province said.

“They were all evacuated to a safe place,” Sou Phirin said. Read more

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