Cambodia bullish about tourism prospects [-Tourism outlook too optimistic?]

11 June 2009
http://www.ttrweekly.com

Cambodia looks for a steady 10% annual increase in visitors.

Cambodia aims to achieve a 10% increase in international arrivals and plans to expand its tourism appeal by opening up village and community based attractions.

Ministry of Tourism Marketing and Promotion Department, International Promotion Official, Prak Vuthy, said despite negative external factors, tourism in Cambodia continued at a smooth pace.

“We are promoting eco-tourism such as river dolphins, Kulen waterfall, Preah Vihear Temple and home-stay which offer an opportunity for visitors to stay with village communities. If someone wants to see more developed locations, they can visit Phnom Penh,” he said.

His comments reflect a policy to move beyond the country’s two tourist destinations, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, to encourage sustainable village tourism in rural areas.

On the marketing side, Mr Prak said that there was no specific target, but sales and marketing would focus on Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, and mainland China.

“We welcome around 2 million visitors a year and we are trying to increase arrivals by 10% each a year. Previously, we expected to get 12% a year, but due to the gloomy economic outlook, we might have settle for 6%,” he added.

According to the latest statistics released by Cambodia Ministry of Tourism Statistics and Tourism Information Department, tourist arrivals increased 2.33% in April, from 173,903 to 177,955. However, when compared with the first quarter last year, there was a 3.4% decline from 644,205 to 622,288 international arrivals. Tourism receipt in 2008 stood at US$1,595 million.

From January to April, Cambodia registered a 2.18% decrease from 818,108 in 2008 to 800,243, of which 421,998 arrivals, or a 52.73%, entered the country through Phnom Penh International Airport and Siem Reap International Airport Overland and sea ports arrivals supplied 329,017 arrivals or a 41.11%.

From January to April, the top 10 markets were: Vietnam 100,401 (+34.07%); South Korea 80,683 (-34%); US 59,249 (+1%), Japan 56,336 (‐11.46%), China 48,672 (‐7.08%), UK 43,100 (+15.95%), France 40,915 (+4.22%), Thailand 35,275 (‐27.21%), Laos 31,517 (+148.09%), and Australia 29,610 (‐5.33%).

Cambodia Expects Tourism Business to Increase 3 pct in 2009

2009-03-15
Xinhua

Cambodia still expects a top line of three percent increase of tourism business in 2009, even in face of the global financial crisis, national media said on Sunday.

If the government takes adequate measures to counter the crisis, a three percent rise can be expected in 2009, Chinese-language daily newspaper the Commercial News on Sunday quoted Tourism Ministry officials as saying.

However, if estimated in a conservative or even pessimistic way, the industry might hit its bottom this year, with a minus three percent rise, according to the officials at a seminar.

After all, the financial downturn has led to mass unemployment, especially in Europe, the U.S. and Asia, and much fewer people can afford overseas trips now, they added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Tourism Minister Thong Khon told a press conference that foreign tourist arrivals in Cambodia dropped by 2. 19 percent in January, compared with the same month in 2008.

Cambodia received around two million foreign tourist arrivals in 2008, a 5.5 percent rise over 2007, but slightly lower than the government's expectation, according to official figures.