2008 Tourism Numbers Rise, But Disappoint

By Chiep Mony, VOA Khmer
Original report from Phnom Penh
05 January 2009

The number of visitors to Cambodia in 2008 surpassed 2007, but officials said Monday less people than hoped had found their way to the kingdom.

The global financial crisis and political unrest in Thailand had both contributed to the lower-than-expected figures, officials said.

In 2008, more than 2.1 million foreign visitors came to Cambodia, a 6 percent rise over the previous year that was about 10 percent lower than expected, Kong Sopheareak, head of the statistics department at the Ministry of Tourism, said Monday.

"First, the global financial crisis, and another thing was the political crisis in Thailand, both of which affected us," he said.

More than a third of all tourists coming to Cambodia travel through Thailand, while another third come through Vietnam and about 3 percent come through Laos, he said. The rest arrive from other countries, he said.

About 60 percent of tourists come by plane, he continued, and about 4 percent are "same day" visitors.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said Monday the ministry was pushing for even more visitors in 2009, including promoting the country as an affordable destination for regional travelers.

Cambodia tourist numbers disappoint

Tourists explore the grounds of Cambodia's popular Angkor Wat. [Reuters]

Sunday, January 04, 2009
ABC Radio Australia

Cambodia's tourism minister says the global financial crisis and political protests in Thailand were behind a less than expected rise in tourist numbers in 2008.

In the first half of last year arrivals soared 13 per cent, and the Ministry of Tourism projected continued growth in the second half of the year.

AFP news agency reports official figures, however, show tourist arrivals were up just eight per cent.

Tourism minister Thong Khon says the global financial crisis affected the forecast.

He also says protests at Bangkok's two main airports in late November had a significant impact, closing a major transit hub to Cambodia for over a week.

Thong Khon says about 31 per cent of tourists enter Cambodia via Thailand.

Altogether, just over two million people visited Cambodia in 2008.

Cambodian minister: Foreign tourist arrivals in 2008 less than expected

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia received less foreign tourists in 2008 than expected due to the global financial crisis and the instability in neighboring Thailand, national media said on Sunday.

The total number of foreign tourist arrivals in the kingdom in 2008 stood at 2.15 million or so, a 6 percent rise over 2007, but much less than the expected 15 percent to 20 percent, Chinese-language newspaper the Commercial News quoted Tourism Minister Thon Khong as saying.

Around 33 percent of them came to Cambodia through Thailand and 29 percent through another neighboring country Vietnam, the minister said.

In 2008, top 5 providers of foreign tourists for Cambodia were South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, the United States and China, he added.

Tourism is among the pillar industries of the kingdom, as its Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province and the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh municipality keep on attracting foreign visitors to watch the miracles of the Khmer nationality.