Phnom Penh
16 January 2009
Cambodia expects an increase of tourist arrivals from the Middle East following a delegation led by Prime Minister Hun Sen to Kuwait and the signing of an agreement between the two countries to open up flights and offer free visas for citizens of each.
“The population of Kuwait is 2.5 million, and about a million people go outside of the country for tourism,” Tourism Minister Thong Korn told reporters Friday.
Hun Sen, who left for Kuwait Tuesday, is expected to seek economic and agricultural agreements, as well as tourism, as he visits the Middle Eastern country for the first time.
After the agreement, the Thong Korn will send a Cambodian delegation to Kuwait to set up a working group and begin an advertising campaign for Cambodian tourism.
“I expect in 2009 we can get 50,000 people from Kuwait,” he said. “And also next month we hope to have an open sky policy with Kuwait and direct flights from Kuwait to Cambodia.”
Cambodia had more than 2 million visitors in 2008, from South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, the US, China, Thailand, France, England, Australia and Taiwan, an increase of 5 percent from the year before. Each person is estimated to spend $700 per visit, according the Ministry of Tourism.
Only around 700 people visited Cambodia from the Middle East in 2008.
“The population of Kuwait is 2.5 million, and about a million people go outside of the country for tourism,” Tourism Minister Thong Korn told reporters Friday.
Hun Sen, who left for Kuwait Tuesday, is expected to seek economic and agricultural agreements, as well as tourism, as he visits the Middle Eastern country for the first time.
After the agreement, the Thong Korn will send a Cambodian delegation to Kuwait to set up a working group and begin an advertising campaign for Cambodian tourism.
“I expect in 2009 we can get 50,000 people from Kuwait,” he said. “And also next month we hope to have an open sky policy with Kuwait and direct flights from Kuwait to Cambodia.”
Cambodia had more than 2 million visitors in 2008, from South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, the US, China, Thailand, France, England, Australia and Taiwan, an increase of 5 percent from the year before. Each person is estimated to spend $700 per visit, according the Ministry of Tourism.
Only around 700 people visited Cambodia from the Middle East in 2008.
7 comments:
That's wonderful!!!! The more tourists we have, the better this country will be.
Cambodia depends highly on tourism. So this is very good news!
Being one of the few Cambodian working in the Middle East, I would suggest the Royal Govt of Camabodia to think about Medical Tourism for long-term view in order to attract the Kuwaiti and the Qatari.
Just for the information to our Cambodian: 1 KWD (Kuwaiti Dinar) = 3.516788 USD.
I hope to see more Cambodian Professionals coming to work in Kuwait and Qatar.
Welcome!!!
sovan999@gmail.com
Well done the PM. If the air is open, many khmers living in Europe can go home without transiting in BKK. So wonderful if it will happen. I think Cambodia has to have his own well functional International landing airport in which tourists can go directly to Cambodia.
Cheers!
The Good (G), The Bad (B) and The Ugly (U)....
I am glad to see that Cambodia has become more and more known internationally. Bringing tourism to the country would bring more jobs and money to the country. Hopefully, the triggled (sp?) down economy would happen in Cambodia as well.
With that being said, the Government needs to look at the down side of this and take necessary precautions as well. With the G come the B & U. I cheer for the G, but caution the Government about the B&U. No need for me to list or give the examples of the B&U. I trust that our Government is smart enough to know them and to take steps to minimize the B&U.
I knew first hands about the B&U. Fifteen years years ago, I stayed in a hotel in Bangkok where about 90% of the people who stayed there were middle eastern men. I saw it all. Good luck to our Cambodia.
welcome to cambodia all kuwaiti, qatari, united arab emerates, israeli, etc... cambodia welcomes all of you to a new era in our diplomatic friendship, etc... may god help nourish all of our new friendship forever between our god people. god bless cambodia.
GOD put us here on planet earth to love and cheer,Because one day we all will find way back HOME.May GOD Bless us all and PEACE on earth.
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