As tourism continues to grow in Cambodia, measures have been put in place to help nurture, develop and sustain the increasingly important economy driver.
“Tourism is one of the four pillars of the economy and is definitely contributing to the creation of middle-class, poverty elevation in this country,” states Alexis de Suremain, owner of The Plantation Hotel and Chinese House restaurant.
Figures released by the Ministry of Tourism this month reveal tourists arriving in Cambodia rose by 4.7% in March compared with last year. The country attracted 400,076 visits, with Vietnam topping the chart with 74,975 crossing the border – a 9.2% hike.
Between January and March, the number of international travellers coming to Cambodia rose by 8.2% to more than 1.26 million. Tourism Minister Thong Khon says the figures show the country is on track to hit its annual visitor target of between 4.7 and 4.8 million tourists by the end of the year.
Last year, the Government set out a strategic plan for the sustainable development of the tourism sector. Its aim is to see between seven million foreign visitors enter the country by 2020, with an additional eight to 10 million domestic visitors.
This would generate an estimated additional $15 billion generated annually, as well as create about 800,000 jobs. “This is a very important contribution to the country’s GDP,” Arnaud Darc, of Thalias Group, says.
The main objectives set out in the plan include adopting an open and transparent approach for businesses. “This helps to support a level playing field for everyone within the industry and ensure a proper environment for stakeholders and investors,” Darc adds.
The country already operates an open sky policy to welcome more visitors, and the Ministry of Tourism is currently carrying out a study to make better use of other routes into the country, such as using the many waterways by attracting more cruises and improving the roads.
Developing strong links with the private sector and working together to develop the industry is also critical to the strategy. Recently, a series of working groups were set up with regular meetings held between relevant government officials and members of the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Here any issues are raised and measures taken to resolve them. If this does not happen, they are taken to Prime Minister Hun Sen to tackle. “The majority of issues are resolved before they reach that level,” notes Darc.
And there is plenty of room to develop the market outside of the usual tourist destinations of Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. Suremain predicts a growth of visitors travelling to the provinces, with room for eco-retreats and eco-tours to develop in these outlying areas. “There’s a lot of space in the provinces for setting up nice retreats and meditation centres,” he says.
“There could also be better use of the Mekong with cruises up to Kratie and other areas and more could be done with the mountains of Bokor and Cardamom.”
