Cambodia Sees 40 Percent Year-on-Year Growth in Chinese Arrivals in First Half of 2017

The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has announced that the country saw approximately 530,000 Chinese tourists in the first half of 2017, representing a 40 percent year-on-year increase compared with 2016.

Making up 20 percent of the 2.66 million overseas tourists in Cambodia during this period – a total 12.6 percent higher than last year’s equivalent – the Chinese have firmly established themselves as the largest group of foreign visitors to the country by nationality. Citizens of Vietnam and Laos occupy the second and third highest positions respectively.

Director of the Tourism Ministry’s statistics and planning department Kong Sopheareak has attributed this strong growth not only to Cambodia’s attractive tourist attractions and the Chinese government’s encouragement of overseas investment, but also the large number of direct flights between the two countries; there are currently 120 weekly services connecting China to Cambodia operated by twelve different airlines.

Accordingly, the Ministry is anticipating 1 million arrivals from China in 2017 – a figure it is looking to increase to an annual total of 2 million by 2020. In order to support the growth in Chinese visitors, the Cambodian government is implementing a series of “China ready” measures, including the provision of Chinese-language material for tourist visa applications and in tourist sites, as well as pushing local tourism service providers to accept renminbi, use Chinese words and phrases and to offer appropriate food and accommodation options.

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Source: Xinhuanet, Khmer Times

Image: Flickr