Original report from Washington
13 July 2009
Cambodia’s second-largest earner of foreign income, tourism, is starting to feel the effects of a prolonged economic downturn and the unstable political situation in Thailand, tourism experts said Thursday.
The number of foreign visitors was down slightly for the first quarter of 2009, dropping 2.23 percent compared to the same period in 2008, but, officials said, those visitors who do come are spending less money.
“This decline has nothing to do with Cambodia’s performance,” said Ang Kim Eang, president of Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
The industry is facing a swath of problems, from the global downturn, a wobbly government in Bangkok, the spread of the H1N1 virus, and even oil price hikes, he said.
Some have blamed Cambodia’s lack of a national airline for the decline, he said, and are hoping for a new tourism law and an open-sky policy, as well visas on arrival and an expansion of attractions.
Even with the slight decline, the number of tourists from the region has risen. Visitors from the Philippines, Laos Malaysia and Vietnam have boosted business for small hotels, he said.
“Therefore, big and luxurious hotels have faced some difficulties in losing their customers...as tourists now spend less money,” Ang Kim Eang said.
To stay competitive in the downturn and to keep numbers up, tourism professionals should target specific countries, said Ho Vandy, co-chairman of the Tourism Working Group, who was also a guest on Thursday’s show.
“What we have advised for the government is related to the promotion of targeting specific tourist groups, Japan or Korea, for instance”.
The number of foreign visitors was down slightly for the first quarter of 2009, dropping 2.23 percent compared to the same period in 2008, but, officials said, those visitors who do come are spending less money.
“This decline has nothing to do with Cambodia’s performance,” said Ang Kim Eang, president of Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, as a guest on “Hello VOA.”
The industry is facing a swath of problems, from the global downturn, a wobbly government in Bangkok, the spread of the H1N1 virus, and even oil price hikes, he said.
Some have blamed Cambodia’s lack of a national airline for the decline, he said, and are hoping for a new tourism law and an open-sky policy, as well visas on arrival and an expansion of attractions.
Even with the slight decline, the number of tourists from the region has risen. Visitors from the Philippines, Laos Malaysia and Vietnam have boosted business for small hotels, he said.
“Therefore, big and luxurious hotels have faced some difficulties in losing their customers...as tourists now spend less money,” Ang Kim Eang said.
To stay competitive in the downturn and to keep numbers up, tourism professionals should target specific countries, said Ho Vandy, co-chairman of the Tourism Working Group, who was also a guest on Thursday’s show.
“What we have advised for the government is related to the promotion of targeting specific tourist groups, Japan or Korea, for instance”.
5 comments:
Go to tell ah Kwack that world economic trouble affect Cambodia! Ah kwack will say that you are insulting his PhD!!!!!
Do ma ah Kwack brain!
Fortunately, thank God, Cambodia is not the only country that is mildly affected by the global economic malaise.
PPU
When passenger traffic is down by 19 percent in Siem riep, how long can one eyed hyena lie to the people. Give back all the money you stole to the people.
not only that, cambodia needs our own national airlines carrier, and it is passed time to expand our international airports to accommodate long haul flights from all over the world, and stop depend on stop over in thailand. tourists should have choice to fly directly to cambodia from anywhere in the world, really! the problem i noticed now is cambodian international airports are still very small in size in comparison to other region airports, really! what is wrong with the current airport management now? they should look into expanding cambodian international airports to handle long haul, giant jets flights from all over the globe. the airports are too small!!!!!!! look around if not sure! be smart and wake up, cambodia!!!
irrational 4:15AM, if Cambodia can create a regional service airline that can survive a small volume air travel market, it would be a big step already. unless Cambodia became a business hub like Singapore, or a manufactoring base like Thailand or Vietnam, our tourism industry is still too small for to attract world carriers to fly directly to Phnom Penh.
m
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