Last year, the Kingdom welcomed a landmark one million Chinese tourists, and five million tourists in the first 10 months, according to a report from the Ministry of Tourism.
With Cambodia experiencing a 45% leap in Chinese visitors and an overall 10% increase in tourists in the first 10 months, industry experts say the country looks to continue the momentum this year, and infrastructure improvements must follow.
Last year, the Kingdom welcomed a landmark one million Chinese tourists, and five million tourists in the first 10 months, according to a report from the Ministry of Tourism.
Growth projections for this year expect visitor arrivals to increase to at least six million and draw US$4 billion in revenue, according to Men Phearom, director of planning at the Ministry of Tourism. The plan includes catering for 15 million domestic tourists.
“We keep increasing direct flights to Cambodia, so tourist arrivals are increasing year by year,” he said. “However, we worry that global issues – like airplane failure, ISIS attack or problems with North Korea – will impact our tourist industry.”
With increasing direct flights to Cambodia, tourist arrivals are increasing year on year, said Phearom. But the country still needs to continue to strengthen security to encourage safety across the sector, he added.
Ho Vandy, adviser to the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce and president of World Express Tour and Travel, also highlighted the problem of difficulty in marketing Cambodia to international visitors despite rising tourist arrivals.
He believes, however, that things will take a turn for the better this year.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s report, the industry’s direct contribution to the economy looks to rise by 6.5% per annum over the next 10 years, reaching US$5 billion in 2027 and representing 11.7% of the country’s total gross domestic product.