Cambodia's tourism improves

Cambodia's tourist arrivals increased by 16% to 2.5 million, over 2.16 million in 2009 and earning an estimated US$1.75 billion, up slightly from US$1.58 billion during the previous year, according to provisional estimates released by the Ministry of Tourism.Full statistics will be released next week at the Asean Tourism Forum, officials told TTR Weekly, Tuesday.

The Ministry of Tourism’s annual tourism reports have not been updated on the website since 2008, although the ministry did release a printed document in May 2010 that confirmed tourists arrivals in 2009 reached 2,161,577 representing a marginal increase of 1.70% over 2008.The country’s tourism passed the 2 million mark in 2007 and has since registered a steady albeit marginal growth.

Provisional estimates for 2010 show more than 52% of all visits arrived at the country’s two aviation gateways Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. The balance came mainly from overland arrivals at the Thailand, Laos and Vietnam borders with a very small contribution from cruise ships.Overland trips made Vietnam the top source market with 466,695 arrivals, up 47% from 316,202 in 2009.

South Korea was in second place with 289,702 arrivals increasing 46% from 197,725 and China was in third place, up 38% to 177,639 from 128,210 in 2009.Tourism Minister, Thong Khon, forecasts foreign tourists will increase by 15% to around 2.8 million in 2011 generating US$1.91 billion in revenue.

He is counting on a heavy financial commitment to CNN TV advertising and the ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2011, due to open next week, to spur growth.About 400 sellers from the 10-member countries of ASEAN will have booths at the annual Travex trade fair, in Phnom Penh, next week, following on from top-level government meetings due to held over the weekend.

Source = ttrweekly