CAA mulls expansion

PHNOM PENH, 18 June 2013: Cambodia Angkor Air will launch routes to China and South Korean’s Seoul by August including routes to Singapore and Malaysia.

According to local news report, CAA chairman, Tek Reth Samrach, said the flights were part of the airline’s growth strategy.

“Singapore is a hub for Asia, so we have to go there…we will have some market demand in Kuala Lumpur because many Cambodians work in Malaysia.”

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Cambodia takes a shine to golf

BANGKOK, 10 June 2013: Cambodia is expanding into golf marketing to support courses near Siem Reap.

Alpine Golf& Sports Club marketing communications officer, Panadda Piampreechachan, told TTR Weekly at the Thailand Travel Mart late last week that Cambodia was emerging as a new golf destination in the Mekong region.

“Golf holidays in Cambodia are new and fresh and can be packaged alongside cultural sightseeing,” she said.

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Cambodia mulls mart options.

BANGKOK, 7 June 2013: Cambodia is planning to start its own annual travel mart possibly as early as 2014 according to ministry of tourism officials, Thursday.

Ministry of Tourism, marketing and promotion office chief in charge of ASEAN markets, Prak Vuthy, who was attending the Thailand Travel Mart, said the ministry was studying options.

“The event will have to be annual, a trade show for international tour operators…We were thinking to hold it end of this year but that is not be possible because we have the sea festival organise too.”

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Cambodia tourism up 18%

PHNOM PENH, 31 May 2013: Cambodia’s tourist arrivals registered an 18.3% growth in March according to the country’s statistics and tourist Information department.

The country welcomed 382,206 visits compared to 323,083 during the same month in 2012.

Released by the Ministry of Tourism, Wednesday, data showed neighbouring Vietnam was the top supplier with 68,680 visits, an increase of 7.8% from 63,730 visits in March last year.

Other top source markets were: China (42,340; +60.5%); South Korea (41,971; +2.6%); Laos (33,847; +87.1%); and Japan (21,505; +2.4%).

Thailand ranked sixth supplying 20,152 visits and improving 24.0% compared to 16,258 visits during the same month last year.

But considering Thailand’s middle class wealth and the high spend on entertainment and leisure activities, outbound visits to Cambodia are way below potential.

In March, 50.4% (192,497) of all international visitors arrived by air. Siem Reap airport received the major share, 30.2% (115,122), while Phnom Penh Airport received just 20.2% (77,375) mainly business travellers who needed to contact government departments and budget travellers starting or finishing their overland trips.

Overland travel accounts for 47.7% (182,409) of all travel through checkpoints with Thailand, Laos and Vietnam, while sea travel is a small 1.9% (7,300).

Siem Reap province welcomed 214,746 tourists, or 56.2% of all arrivals including air and overland. The province’s tourism increased 8.1%.

Data hints of the massive imbalance between tourist arrivals to Siem Reap and the rest of the country. Arrivals to Phnom Penh and all other destinations accounted  for a 43.8% share  (167,460 visits).

By region, Asia Pacific accounted for a 73.4% market share and posted a growth of 20.9% supplying 280,615 arrivals.

The Middle East grew 25.0% to 1,253 visits followed by Europe (+12.4%; 72,649), Africa (+11.4%; 500), America (+9.2%; 27,189), and Oceania (+7.0%; 11,588).

Outbound trips by Cambodians in March reached 64,565 trips increasing 11.9% from 57,684 during the same month last year.

January to March, the country welcomed 1,172,972 foreign travellers improving 17.8% from 995,210 visits during the same period last year.

Outbound trips reached 201,544 growing just 7.1% in the first quarter of this year when compared to 188,267 trips last year.

Cambodia:Top 10 source markets March 2013

 Top 10 source markets to Cambodia in January to March 2013

Cambodia’s schools add tourism studies

PHNOM PENH, 30 May 2013: To build human resources in tourism, Cambodia launched a new curriculum for students grades 11 and 12, earlier this week, according to local media reports.

Building job skills for tourism and the service segments is now a priority for ASEAN countries in the lead up to liberalisation due to start in 2015.

Cambodia’s new curriculum covers tourism service providers and tourism sites, according to guidelines from the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Students will receive 76 hours in tuition a year on tourism-related subjects.

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Big plans for Cambodian Airlines

PHNOM PENH, 14 May 2013: Cambodia Airlines plans to spend US$1.5 billion to acquire up to 22 planes, a move that might see the new airline’s fleet size overtake that of national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air.

According to Manila-based news network, Rappler,  partners Philippine Airlines (PAL) and a Cambodian tycoon will spend US$1.5 billion to acquire new aircraft for Cambodia Airlines.

PAL’s part-owner San Miguel Corp and Cambodia Airlines will acquire 16 to 22 new aircraft to be used in code-sharing agreement flights between the two airlines.

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Cambodia goes to polls July

PHNOM PENH, 13 May 2013: Cambodia’s tourist arrival growth rate could slow in the lead up to national elections this July a negative trend that was evident during previous elections.

Tourism Minister, Thong Khon, said there was always the slight possibility of political unrest and that could deter some visits, but he believed elections would be completed smoothly without risk to visitors.

“Tourists often postpone visits to a country during elections because they fear there could be political unrest, but election time is also something to witness in the capital,” the minister explained.

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Dolphins: Stars of the Mekong River

CAMBODIA, 10 May 2013: Tourism is one of the top three contributors to Cambodia’s GDP (12% in 2012, US$2 billion), but the benefits are seen in just a few popular destinations.

That’s the challenge for the government. How does it spread tourism’s benefits beyond the few to the many?

Mainstream tourism focuses on Siem Reap’s Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh the capital, Tonle Sap a massive inland lake feeding the Mekong River and the beaches and

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Cambodia enjoys travel growth

PHNOM PENH, 8 May 2013: Cambodia’s tourist arrivals registered a 19.9% growth in February according to the country’s statistics and tourist Information Department.

The country welcomed 385,760 visits compared to 321,870 during the same month in 2012.

Released by the Ministry of Tourism, Monday, data showed neighbouring Vietnam was the top supplier with 58,750 visits, an increase of 4.4% over 56,297 visits in February last year.

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Travel beyond Siem Reap

PHNOM PENH, 7 May 2013: Cambodia tourism’s is bottle necked in Siem Reap with very few visitors bothering to explore other destinations after they tick the Angkor Wat box.

Secretary of state Council of Ministers, Tek Reth Samrach, told local media late last week more information was needed on other destinations that could encourage visitors to Angkor Wat to explore the country in more detail.

“Siem Reap has the potential to receive up to 10 million tourists a year, so visits to surrounding areas should be encouraged.”

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