Cambodia Celebrates Record Year for Tourism as March Sees 18% Rise in Visitors

Online, June 16, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Everything we hear about Cambodia at the moment seems to be good news for the tourism industry. First came the news that Cambodia tourism was up a full 18% in March. record numbers of 382,206 visits were registered. This is great news as Cambodia continues to hold its own with the other Southeast Asian nations. One point of interest that will be welcomed by tour operators is that this was not all down to Angkor Wat. The country is working hard to promote other areas as tourist centers and it appears to be paying off. Siem Reap Province was up 8.1%, so the extra numbers demonstrate that the industry's initiatives are reaping rewards.

Mr. Tran Truong, CEO Asia Tour Advisor (ATA) speaking recently said, " Obviously it is pleasing that figures for Angkor Wat and the temples continue to grow. However, it is most pleasing to see that Sihanoukville and other areas are making inroads into the tourism markets. Of course The temple sites are still the biggest draw, accounting for more than 50% of all arrivals into the country. But we are working hard to promote other important sites around the country."

Next came the news that the relevant government ministries of Cambodia, Myanmar, The Philippines and Indonesia are working together on a common smart passport system. They signed a statement of intent at the 22nd World Economic Forum on East Asia which took part in Nay Pyi Taw in Myanmar, between June 5th and 7th. Anything that speeds up passport control for holiday makers in the region is of course excellent news. However, this is also seen as further evidence of the countries working closer together to promote tourism.

Mr. Tran Truong, again, "As I said recently, the close working together of countries like Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar is producing excellent results for our industry. People in large numbers are looking at the whole region as a tourist destination and booking two, three and even four center Cambodia holidays. Not content with just visiting one country they want to see as much as possible. This can only be good for everyone."

Then came the excellent news that Cambodia Angkor Air are launching new routes to Seoul in Korea and both the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou. This will make Cambodia tours even simpler. These will commence in August and further extensions are planned for Singapore and Malaysia. 2012 saw 116,000 visitors from Malaysia and 53,000 from Cambodia. The market is already there and the airline plan to develop this. The company's chairman, Mr. Tek Reth Samrach said, "Singapore is a hub for Asia, so we have to go there. We will have some market [demand] in Kuala Lumpur, because many Cambodians work in Malaysia, and vice versa."

So on the whole this has not just been a record month for Cambodia, it has also been a month where nothing but good news appears to be on the horizon. Record tourist figures for March, a new deal with neighboring countries to facilitate quicker passport controls for tourists and new air routes announced to bring those tourists through. Cambodia is firmly established now as a premier holiday destination.