Korean Air has appointed a new country manager in Cambodia who has unveiled grand plans to lure more South Koreans to the Kingdom of Wonder’s shores.
“Not many South Koreans know much about Cambodia, apart from Angkor Wat. Many have explored a lot of South-east Asia and are looking for new places to visit. They know Thailand and Vietnam, but not Cambodia, so I have to provide more information (for them),” said Hoyeon Chang.
Chang has set his sights firmly on expanding the network to lure more South Koreans to the Cambodia’s shores. This includes plans to explore launching flights between South Korea and the recently opened Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport, as well as the coastal city of Sihanoukville.
“Cambodia is a very important destination for Korean Air because we have leisure demand and business demand too,” Chang said, adding that the airline currently operates daily flights between Seoul Incheon and Phnom Penh.
According to the latest figures from Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism, South Korea ranks the nation’s sixth strongest source market. Between January and September, there were 125,732 arrivals. In addition, about 300 South Korean companies are based in Cambodia.
“We have a good mix of leisure and business traffic from South Korea but we can further build on the leisure market. South Koreans are searching for new places to visit, so we have to develop new destinations,” Chang noted.
He added that the route connecting South Korea with the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, which launched at the end of last year, has got off to a strong start due to the appeal of the beaches.
“Sihanoukville also has nice beaches and islands, which will make it attractive to South Koreans, and, of course, Siem Reap has a lot – but to make it viable very much depends on the support we get from travel agents and tour operators. It needs this support.”
Chang also noted that a strong part of Korean Air’s Cambodia traffic is outbound business, with many Cambodians travelling to the US. From Seoul Incheon, passengers can fly directly to 13 destinations in North America and Canada.
Since the airline reintroduced its direct connection from Phnom Penh to Japan in 2023, Chang said that the route has proved popular. “We’re seeing a lot of demand between Cambodia and Japan, especially to northern parts like Sapporo,” he said.
The Taiwan Tourism Administration is restarting its marketing and promotional activities in India after a three-year hiatus brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The authority organised its destination seminars in New Delhi and Mumbai recently – the first of travel trade activities after the pandemic. Taiwan Tourism Administration has also opened its Taiwan Tourism Information Centre (TTIC) in Mumbai. The centre will act as a one-stop-point for information related to travel and hospitality in Taiwan.
“Our first focus is to reach pre-pandemic tourist arrival numbers in the Indian market. Our promotional activities will focus on various products and experiences for both leisure and MICE segments. We are planning to organise fam trips for travel agents and media later this year. Also, a training programme for travel agents is in the pipeline,” shared Joseph Cheng, director, Taiwan Tourism Administration & Taiwan Visitors Association, Singapore office while speaking to TTG Asia at the New Delhi leg of destination seminars.
From January to November, the tourist arrivals from India to Taiwan stood around 30,000, a 70 per cent recovery compared to 2019. The Taiwan Tourism Administration is also in the process of hiring a PR agency in India to help grow outbound numbers from India, especially the MICE market.
“Metro cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai will be our focus for tapping the MICE segment. We are also in talks with China Airlines and EVA Air to begin direct flights between the two destinations,” added Cheng.
An official from China Airlines, who wished not to be named, told TTG Asia that the carrier may look to operate direct flights between New Delhi and Taipei once there is an availability of aircraft.
Some of the destinations Taiwan is looking to promote in India include Taipei, Taoyuan City, Kaohsiung and Tainan. Presently, the top inbound source markets for Taiwan are Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore.