Death ends Survivor show
PHNOM PENH, 27 March 2013: Filming of the French version of the hit reality TV show “Survivor” has been cancelled after a contestant died of a heart attack on a tropical Cambodian island on the first day.
French broadcaster TF1 said it had axed the 2013 season of the show, called “Koh Lanta”, after 25-year-old Gerald Babin fell ill on Friday during filming on Koh Rong off Cambodia’s southwest coast.
Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the TV crew had planned to spend five months in the kingdom.
Cambodia’s tourism picks the pace
March 20, 2013 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Cambodia, News
PHNOM PENH, 20 March 2013: Visits to Cambodia continue to increase as January figures show a 15.4% improvement, Cambodia’s statistics and tourist Information Department reported Tuesday.
The country welcomed 404,106 visits when compared to 350,257 during the same month in 2012.
Released by the Ministry of Tourism, data indicated South Korea was the top supplier in January with 70,770 visits and an increase of 26.7% from 55,871 visits. Other top suppliers were: Vietnam (54,674); China (39,961); Laos (28,808), and the United States (21,040).
New roads take shape in Cambodia
March 14, 2013 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Cambodia, News
KAMPONG CHAM, 14 March 2013: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen expects a new section of national highway 6A from Bathey district in Kampong Cham province to Siem Reap, will help to boost the country’s economy.
The PM said work on widening and improving the 248 km stretch of national highway 6A was a vital development that would build the economy and tourism. The road will be widened from 7 to 12 metres with some places as wide as 25 metres.
Cambodia’s travel business robust
February 26, 2013 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Cambodia, Mekong Region, News
PHNOM PENH, 26 February 2013: Cambodia Ministry of Tourism reports the country’s outbound travel market soared 11.7% to reach almost 800,000 trips last year.
Released, late last week, the ministry data indicated there were 792,398 trips up 11.7% compared to 709,616 trips in 2011.
Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president, Ang Kim Eang, said most the trips were to ASEAN countries thanks to visa exemption agreements and new direct flights and the easing of cross border travel rules.
Cambodia grows on tourism and clothes
February 21, 2013 by AFP
Filed under Cambodia, Mekong Region, News
PHNOM PENH, 21 February 2013: Cambodia’s economic growth accelerated to 7.3% last year thanks to buoyant activity in the agricultural, tourism and garment sectors, Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday.
“The outlook for Cambodia is good,” he said at a conference in Phnom Penh, forecasting growth of above 7% in the medium term.
The strong 2012 performance, which was helped by increased exports and a building boom, marked an improvement on the previous year’s 7.1 % growth.
Cambodia targets 4 million visits
February 20, 2013 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Cambodia, News
PHNOM PENH, 20 February 2013: Cambodia Ministry of Tourism forecasts it will attract 4 million international tourists this year an increase of 12% year-on-year.
According to a local press report, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the country welcomed 3.58 million foreign tourists in 2012, up 24% year-on-year. Tourism generated US$2.2 billion in revenue.
About 75% of all tourists were from Asia-Pacific and about 16% from European countries.
Bid to keep Royal Crematorium
February 19, 2013 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Cambodia, News
PHNOM PENH, 19 February 2013: Cambodian government officials say the Royal Crematorium will become a major tourist site at least for the next few months.
The country’s local media reported that the government has been requested to keep the Late King-Father Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk’s Royal Crematorium for an extended period to support tourism.
Government-Private Sector Working Group on Tourism co chair, Ho Vandy, said he has received a lot of comments from foreign tourists to keep the Royal Crematorium structure for a while to enable tourists to visit when they are scheduled to tour the National Museum.
Born to be a tourist
LOS ANGELES, 11 February 2013: Six pregnant Asian-looking women cross the road. Two others cross in the opposite direction. In a nearby store, about 10 compare baby clothing.
Something is happening in the suburbs of Los Angeles.
Nearby, a string of so-called “maternity hotels,” where Asian women — often Chinese and Taiwanese — come to give birth to babies who will automatically acquire a US passport — has recently drawn the attention of authorities.
China trips on the double
January 25, 2013 by TTRweekly Staff
Filed under Cambodia, News, North Asia
PHNOM PENH, 25 January 2013: Cambodia will welcome about 2 million Chinese tourists by 2020, according to the latest forecast released by Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism.
The forecast is based on wider Chinese estimates that suggest the number of Chinese tourists globally will reach 200 million by 2020.
Tourism Minister Thong Khon said at a news conference at the close of the 16th ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Meeting in Laos that Chinese tourist numbers had soared well beyond expectations.
Travel and plant a tree
January 23, 2013 by Wanwisa Ngamsangchaikit
Filed under Cambodia, Mekong Region, News
PHNOM PENH, 23 January 2013: Tourism Minister, Thong Khon, said Cambodia will launch a “One Tourist, One Tree” campaign next month to promote green tourism and encourage visitors to protect the environment.
The minister said the campaign will be begin, 27 February, during a national celebration to promote clean cities.
“The tree-planting campaign will be a new and attractive tourism product and will ensure tourists are also making a contribution to a cleaner and greener environment.”
