Fri, 20 Jul 2007
DPA
Phnom Penh - Tourist arrivals to Cambodia for the first half of the year rose by nearly 20 per cent and a further rise was expected for the next half, Tourism Minister Thong Khong said Friday. Speaking by telephone, Thong Khong said the country's open skies policy, which had seen direct flights from South Korea, China, Japan and other destinations mushroom in the past two years, as well as a healthy return tourism rate had helped lift the figures.
He said 975,349 tourists had arrived in the kingdom from January to June 2007, compared to 813,392 in the same period last year - a rise of 19.91 percent.
"Many visitors are repeat visitors, and often they go home and bring their families and friends when they return," Thong Khong said.
"Security, a balanced tourism policy and open skies have certainly helped drive tourist numbers up, and with the European vacation period set to begin soon, we expect a further rise in the second half of the year."
Around 1.7 million tourists visited Cambodia in 2006.
Tourism Ministry statistics showed that 56 per cent of tourists came for the magnificent Angkor Wat temple complex in the north of the country, but that significant numbers were also choosing to visit the capital, Phnom Penh, and the pristine beaches near Sihanoukville in the country's south-west.
As was the case last year, South Koreans were the dominant nationality choosing Cambodia as a destination, with Japanese also making up a significant proportion.
The Cambodian economy relies heavily on tourism as a source of foreign currency, although some conservationists have warned that the skyrocketing tourist arrivals are taking a heavy toll on the ancient Angkorian temples, which were mainly built between the 8th and 12th centuries.
He said 975,349 tourists had arrived in the kingdom from January to June 2007, compared to 813,392 in the same period last year - a rise of 19.91 percent.
"Many visitors are repeat visitors, and often they go home and bring their families and friends when they return," Thong Khong said.
"Security, a balanced tourism policy and open skies have certainly helped drive tourist numbers up, and with the European vacation period set to begin soon, we expect a further rise in the second half of the year."
Around 1.7 million tourists visited Cambodia in 2006.
Tourism Ministry statistics showed that 56 per cent of tourists came for the magnificent Angkor Wat temple complex in the north of the country, but that significant numbers were also choosing to visit the capital, Phnom Penh, and the pristine beaches near Sihanoukville in the country's south-west.
As was the case last year, South Koreans were the dominant nationality choosing Cambodia as a destination, with Japanese also making up a significant proportion.
The Cambodian economy relies heavily on tourism as a source of foreign currency, although some conservationists have warned that the skyrocketing tourist arrivals are taking a heavy toll on the ancient Angkorian temples, which were mainly built between the 8th and 12th centuries.
No comments:
Post a Comment