PLANS for a ‘China city’, a major waterfront project and a shopping mall are in the pipeline, as Cambodia looks at ways to help attract more travellers from China, the country’s second largest source market.
Cambodian Ministry of Tourism director of marketing and promotion, Visothy So, emphasised that Cambodia needs to brand itself as a destination with more attractions.
Besides the Angkor Wat, the ministry will promote three major destinations, including Phnom Penh and its surroundings, ecotourism in the North-eastern regions, and the 440km coastline and over 60 islands.
The ministry held a tourism roadshow in Guangzhou on August 28, attended by 22 Cambodian suppliers.
Cambodia Angkor Air sales manager Gan Wei Xiang noted that direct flights between Phnom Penh and Guangzhou launched in July offers visitors more travel options in addition to Guangzhou-Siem Reap flights.
Sokha Hotels & Resorts’ deputy director of sales and marketing, Say Sophertra, said the hotel group is developing four- and five-star hotels across Cambodia, while also seeking to understand the needs and preferences of China’s visitors.
China’s visitors are mainly group tourists who spend five days in Cambodia on average, but younger Chinese travellers are increasingly opting for week-long, free-and-easy travel. While the temple mountains are must-sees for both groups, Sihanoukville is also gaining popularity.
In 1H2014, Cambodia saw 260,000 arrivals from China or a 16 per cent increase over the previous period.
Tourism minister, Thong Khon, said the ministry predicts 4.6 million and five million international visitors in 2014 and 2015 respectively. By 2020, arrivals will number 75 million, including two million from China.
Article by Yvonne Chang. Translated by Ong Yanchun from the original TTG China e-Daily, August 15, 2014.
