Tourism Numbers Rise Slightly, Report Claims

The number of visitors rose only a quarter of a percent for the month of October compared to the same month last year. However this compounded the slight increase of tourist arrivals in 2009 over 2008, the Ministry of Tourism said in a report released Friday.

The number of visitors rose by 1.55 percent for the first 10 months of the year with the biggest increase in July, the report stated. In total, 1,731,045 people have visited Cambodia so far this year.

Visitors to Cambodia in October totaled 157,105, a hair?s breadth above the 156,718 people who came in October 2008.

The report also said that, so far this year, Cambodia received the most arrivals from Vietnam, South Korea and the US, with the percentage of visitors from Vietnam rising by 45 percent compared to 2008. Visitors from Laos increased by the largest percentage, 76 percent, while South Korea had the biggest drop for visitors with a decrease of nearly 29 percent Japan, China, Thailand and Australia also dropped in percentage of visitors.

Data recording visitors? means of travel showed that so far this year land and water arrivals have increased by 22 percent, as has the number of day visitors. But air arrivals have decreased by 12.51 percent.

The report included data from previous years about the lengths of time visitors stayed, as well as hotel occupancy and tourism receipts from previous years. AH three variables have risen steadily since a severe drop off due the anti-Thai riots of 2003. However 2009 data are not yet compiled.

Luu Meng, president of the Cambodia Hotel Association, said hotel bookings are slightly down this year compared to last and that accommodations in all price ranges are experiencing a decrease during the traditional tourist high season, which includes December and runs through February.

?People are more careful about spending money,? he said yesterday.

Mr Meng was in Siem Reap for the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon and said the event was an example of the sort needed to attract visitors, including domestic tourists, who can help keep prevent revenue from leaving the country.

Mr Meng noted that visitors are staying in the hotels for longer periods of time. He added because of the low number of bookings, hotels are becoming more competitively priced. As a result, he said, ?People are getting more value compared to last year.?

Sourced = The Cambodia Daily