AGENTS in Cambodia are finding it necessary to offer more in their packages, including Cambodia-only itineraries, in order to sustain long-term growth.
The latest figures from Angkor Institution revealed that 972,753 international tourists visited the UNESCO World Heritage site between January and May this year, a slight 0.25 per cent increase on the same period in 2015. A total of US$28 million was made from ticket sales – a 1.7 per cent increase.
But agents say this isn’t enough.
Said Khiri Travel country manager Miles Gravet: “Massive short-term rises in tourist numbers always were unsustainable for Cambodia and we need to focus on long-term sustainability. I think if we continue to promote Cambodia and not just Angkor, and shift from an overreliance on the budget-focused regional market, the numbers will continue to rise.”
Meanwhile, Exo Travel, which sees many of its customers spend five days in Cambodia as part of a multi-city trip from Vietnam and Thailand, hopes to push destination Cambodia further by promoting it as a standalone destination.
About 80 per cent of Exo’s customers travel only to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
“These figures show the need to showcase other parts of Cambodia apart from Angkor Wat,” said it’s general manager Pierre-André Romano. “We are working on 100 per cent Cambodia tours with some agents.”
The largest source of foreign visitors to Angkor Wat currently hail from China, South Korea and Japan.
