New golf course slated for Siem Reap

Cambodia?s first international PGA-standard golf course, Phokeethra Country Club, Angkor Wat, is the latest development in Angkor town. Thai Nakorn Patana, owner of Sofitel Royal Angkor Golf & Spa Resort in Siem Reap, invested US$10 million in the new 18-hole golf course.

Thai Nakorn Patana deputy managing director Supachaai Verapuchong said, though the umber of tourists visiting Siem Reap stood at around 700,000 last year, their length of stay was only approximately 1.7-1.8 nights per person.

?Activities for tourists in the town are still quite limited. Most of the itineraries include temple visits, sight-seeing at the lake, or taking in the spas, and then the tour is over, ?said Mr Supachai.

He said, adding new activities, such as golf, will add value to the visitor?s trip. The increase length of stay will benefit the related tourism sectors.

According to Mr Supachai, the expected length of stay for visitors coming to Angkor town for sightseeing and golf, will increase the average person nights to 2.5-2.6.

The golf course, managed by Sofitel Royal Angkor Golf & Spa Resort, is expected to improve the offerings for the high-end market heading to Siem Reap. This is expected to raise the year-round occupancy for the hotel, during the current room oversupply, Siem Reap has almost 10,000 rooms for tourists in all hotel categories, but annual occupancy stands at only around 30% a year.

According to Mr Supachai, by late this year, the Sofitel Royal Angkor Golf & Spa Resort will be renamed the Sofitel Phokeethra Royal Angkor Golf & Spa Resort. Thai Nakorn Patana intends to rebrand all its properties under the Phokeethara name, following the ancient Phya Naga Phokee legend.

Future plans for the Phokeethra brand call for a JV project, Sofitel Phokeethra in Phnom Penh. It is being constructed on 50-rai of land by the river, near the Thai Nakorn Patana?s Royal Phnom Penh before it was razed in a 2003 fire.

Mr Supachai unveiled that the US$25 million project is expected to open by the third quarter of 2008.

?While the tourism in key gateways of the region such as Thailand and Vietnam are steadily growing, there?s no doubt that Cambodia, the country situated in between, will also tap into this growth trend.? Said Mr Supachai.

Sourced from TTRweekly