Tourism Indochina: Tourism in Cambodia flourishes

Tourism in Cambodia flourishes

The number of international visitors to Cambodia continued to rise between January and May this year compared to the same time last year, data received from the Ministry of Tourism indicated.

The number of international tourists visiting Cambodia increased 26.3 per cent to 1,505,734 visitors in the first five months of the year compared to 1,191,757 tourists in the same period last year.

The figure revealed that international visitors travelling by land increased by 35.7 per cent, 19.2 per cent by air and 12.5 per cent by sea.

Cambodia’s tourism market may be affected by the European market because of Greek’s debt crisis.

The Cambodian tourism market will be able to attract visitors from the nearby Asia Pacific and ASEAN regions, tourism minister Thong Khon said.

The growth in the number of tourists visiting Cambodia is more than was expected in 2011, which was 15 per cent.

The factors pushing the increase consist of Cambodia’s ASEAN chairmanship, international standard restaurants and more direct flights and political stability, said Ang Kim Eang, President of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents.

Source: Phnompenhpost/28June2012

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Tourism Indochina: 40 Spanish Tour Companies joint-hand to bring over 1,000 tourists from Spain to Cambodia by four Airplanes

40 Spanish Tour Companies joint-hand to bring over 1,000 tourists from Spain to Cambodia by four Airplanes

Planes carrying more than 1,000 Spanish tourists landed in Siem Reap on Saturday, in what tourism officials called a positive signal from Europe during a time of economic instability.

The tour that brought 1,290 tourist in on four chartered planes saw some of the first direct tourism-oriented flights from Madrid, Spain. It also brought some of the largest planes – three Airbus 330s and one Boing 767 – ever to land in Siem Reap.

“It’s the first time big planes land here. I hope it will attract more European tourists,” said Kong Sangvar, managing director of Orchestra Travel & Tours, an agency that helped organise the trip.

Although there are no plans for direct flights, the chartered flights have put tourism potential from Spain on some officials’ radars.

“Permanent flights needs long-term research because it is based on passengers from Spain,” TithVanna, SiemReapInternationalAirport director, said.

Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, said the trip signifies thatEurope was not a dead market for Cambodian tourism.

Source: MoT

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Tourism Indochina: Korea to build a tourism university in Cambodia

Korea to build a tourism university in Cambodia

Cheju Halla, a Korean University, plans to build next year a university of tourism and hospitality in Siem Reap where millions of tourists flock to see the famous Angkor Wat, the most popular tourist attraction in Cambodia, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said at a meeting with Han Soo Kim, the new South Korean ambassador to Cambodia.

The $20-million school construction project, which is expected to break ground by 2013, is to respond to the Ministry of Tourism’s call for South Korea’s help in developing its tourism sector due to a sharp increase in the number of Korean tourists from 180,900 for the first four months of 2012 compared to 130,200 in the same period of 2011.

Source: PhnomPenhPost/21June2012

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Tourism Indochina: Funds raised helped 870 families from Cambodia’s Flood victims

Funds raised helped 870 families from Cambodia’s Flood victims

The inspiration for the flood relief appeal came from the children of Green Gecko who shared their concerns about the food crisis caused by the localized extensive flooding. The kids made a proposal on how they would like to help, “Our plan is to save money from our own food spending to buy rice, canned fish, soy sauce and clean water for families that need help. We are looking for partners to join us in our efforts.” Inspired by this initiative, Hotel de la Paix, Golden Banana Boutique Hotel and Resort, Heritage Suites Hotel, Exotissimo Travel Cambodia are collaborating to raise funds to purchase and deliver food and fresh water to 1,200 families in the hardest hit provinces, whom have not yet received any aid.

On October 20, 2011, twenty management and staff from Siem Reap’s tourism business, together with 16 kids from the Green Gecko family worked hand in hand to pack 15 kg of rice, tinned fish and soy sauce and deliver the supplies to three villages and 400 families in the outskirts of Siem Reap who are still in desperate need of aid. On Friday 21st & Sunday October 23rd another 470 families in the Kampong Thom province received the same assistance and other actions are planned for the coming weeks.

Flooding has spread across 17 of Cambodia’s 24 provinces, killing 247 people, forcing the evacuation of more than 34,000 households, and destroying some 200,000 hectares of rice fields, says the National Committee for Disaster Management. Vegetable plots have been destroyed, livestock have been lost and the price of rice has gone up by more than 50%. Access to food is critical for thousands of families, and food security will be a vital concern for thousands more for weeks and months to come.

“Despite scorching sun and torrential rain our common goal of delivering much needed food and water to 870 families across 7 villages was achieved. It just goes to show, all you need is some passion, a common goal and friends willing to work together and you can see what can be achieved. Thank you for supporting our kids in their initiative and involving them in such a great community project… you all made them feel very special and worthy.” said Tania Palmer, the co‐founder and director of the Green Gecko Project.

The three hotels and travel partner are continuously launching appeals to both guests and friends to raise funds for a Direct Action for Emergency Flood Relief. The call likewise goes out to anyone who can and wishes to assist families in plain desperate need. Funds donated go directly and entirely to the purchase of rice, fish and water for those families. Anyone wishing to help should contact the hotels directly or go to http://www.razoo.com/story/Floodreliefcollaboration to donate online.

Source: Breakingtravelnews/29th Oct 2011

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: Tourism can contribute to the three pillars of sustainability

Tourism can contribute to the three pillars of sustainability

PR No.: PR12041,Rio de Janeiro,Madrid, 22 Jun 12

Tourism, providing jobs and supporting the livelihoods of millions, particularly of women and young people, is central to advancing the three pillars of sustainability, agreed participants meeting at a Rio+20 tourism event.

Participants at the side event ´Tourism for a Sustainable Future´ held at Rio+20 agreed that tourism can make a significant contribution to the three pillars of sustainable development – economic, social and environmental.

“Tourism is interlinked with the seven key themes being discussed here at Rio+20 – jobs, energy, cities, food, water, oceans and disasters – and can be a factor of development for developing and developed countries alike,” said Gastão Vieira, Minister of Tourism of Brazil, opening the event.

“We are here today at Rio, twenty years after the first Earth Summit, to renew our commitments, define shared goals and agree on a roadmap for a better future,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, highlighting that “amid growing economic concerns it is now, more than ever, that we need to call for the right policies, the adequate investment and the proper business practices that can advance us towards fairer, more people-centered, inclusive growth”.

“Tourism’s capacity to create jobs is central to this debate,” said Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), underlining tourism’s multiplier effects. “We cannot forget that for every job created in tourism, many more jobs are created in other sectors.”

The role of the UN system in advancing tourism’s contribution to economic growth and development was debated, namely the work of the UN Steering Committee on Tourism for Development (SCTD), an initiative led by UNWTO and bringing together eight further UN agencies and programmes (ILO, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNIDO, WTO) to ensure an integrated and more effective international cooperation – ‘Delivering as One ‘- for tourism, and to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Participants emphasized the role of sustainable tourism in creating decent jobs, stimulating trade and linkages and eliminating poverty. There was a clear call to improve the link between local communities and tourism attractions in order make tourism a more effective tool in the fight against poverty and to advance awareness-raising among tourists of their obligation to respect and protect the environment considering that it is tourism’s prime interest and responsibility to protect natural resources.

Closing the event, Maurice Strong, Secretary-General of the 1992 Earth Summit said “your sector has a real interest in protecting the environment and a huge potential for the green economy as its assets are the ones we need to preserve and enhance.”

The event also counted on the participation of the Minister of Tourism of Ecuador, Freddy Ehlers; the Minister of Tourism of Madagascar, Jean Max Rakotomamonjy; the Vice-Minister for Tourism Planning of Mexico, Jorge Mezher; Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, Member of the UN MDG Advocacy Group and Chair of the ST-EP Foundation (Sustainable Tourism - Eliminating Poverty); the President of the ST-EP Foundation and former UNWTO Secretary-General, Francesco Frangialli; and Shahrazad Roohi, Environmental Advisor for the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority.

Source: UNWTO

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: G20 recognizes Travel & Tourism as a driver of economic growth for the first time and commits to work on travel facilitation

G20 recognizes Travel & Tourism as a driver of economic growth for the first time and commits to work on travel facilitation

PR No.:PR12040,Madrid,London,20 Jun 12

The G20 world leaders have, for the first time, recognized the importance of Travel & Tourism as a driver of jobs, growth and economic recovery.

The Leaders’ Declaration from the annual meeting of the G20 world leaders, held in Los Cabos, Mexico, on 18-19 June, recognizes "the role of travel and tourism as a vehicle for job creation, economic growth and development” and commits to “work towards developing travel facilitation initiatives in support of job creation, quality work, poverty reduction and global growth.”

This is the first time that Travel & Tourism has been included in the G20 Leaders’ Declaration and is the culmination of long-term efforts by the industry, led by UNWTO and WTTC, to encourage world leaders to see the potential of Travel & Tourism to create millions of new jobs and billions of dollars of GDP.

According to WTTC, the industry will directly contribute US$ 2 trillion in GDP and 100 million jobs to the global economy in 2012. When the wider economic impacts of the industry are taken into account, Travel & Tourism is forecast to contribute some US$ 6.5 trillion to the global economy and generate 260 million jobs – or 1 in 12 of all jobs on the planet.

Research by the two organizations, released at the T20 Ministers Meeting, showed that the G20 could boost their international tourist numbers by an additional 122 million, generate an extra US$ 206 billion in tourism exports and create over five million additional jobs by 2015 by improving visa processes and entry formalities. Findings showed that of the 656 million international tourists who visited G20 countries in 2011, an estimated 110 million needed a visa, while millions more were deterred from traveling by the cost, waiting time and difficulty of obtaining a visa. Facilitating visas for these tourists, many from some of the world’s fastest growing source markets such as the BRICs, could stimulate demand, spending and ultimately create millions of new jobs in the G20 economies.

Speaking after the publication of the G20 Leaders’ Declaration, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai and WTTC President & CEO, David Scowsill said:

“We commend the G20 world leaders for recognizing the importance of Travel & Tourism as a driver of economic growth and job creation for the first time and stand ready to support all efforts by the G20 countries in this respect. This is a significant success for the industry and could not have happened without the support of President Calderon, a leader who truly understands the socio-economic value of tourism and its potential to create new jobs in such difficult economic times, and without the commitment of Secretary Gloria Guevara, who so successfully chaired the T20 (Tourism Ministers of G20 countries) last month. Mexico is an example in marketing its extraordinary tourism destinations, but also in tourism policy namely through significant advances in visa policies which encourage more inbound tourists.

By facilitating visas, the G20 countries stand to gain five million jobs at a time of rampant unemployment across the world. These are in addition to the hundreds of millions of direct and indirect jobs already being supported every day by the sector.” Source: UNWTO

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Tourism Indochina: EU crisis to hit tourism again

EU crisis to hit tourism again

The World Bank yesterday said developing countries should brace for a long period of volatility in global markets, which could impact tourism-reliant nations such as Cambodia.

A “serious deterioration of conditions” remained a possibility in Europe, according to the bank's Global Economic Prospects, although slow improvement was a likely outcome for the bloc.

The turmoil, which has been magnified recently by a Spanish bank bailout and the possibility of Greece's withdrawal from the eurozone, could further tighten the purse strings of European travelers.

Gauging Cambodia's market for European travelers has been difficult since numbers declined significantly during the onset of the global crisis in 2009, said Pierre Jungo, managing director of Diethelm Travel, a regional travel agency that caters largely to Europe.

Incoming tourists from the eurozone did increase during the first few months of the year, Jungo said, but from a very low base.

“We are not back to 2008 [levels] but we did see an increase on last year,” he said.

Cambodian tourism brought in an estimated US$2.5 billion in 2011, making the industry one of the country's biggest generators of gross domestic product, the World Bank report said.

In 2010, the sector accounted for 21.2 per cent of GDP.

About 515,600 European tourists visited Cambodia in 2011, a 10 per cent increase on 2010, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism.

Cambodia's tourism market has already started a regional swing toward visitors from ASEAN, as well as from Korea, China and Vietnam.

More than 1 million tourists from ASEAN member states entered Cambodia last year. More ASEAN tourists came to Cambodia than from any other region, according to the data.

East Asian tourist numbered about 778,000. At about 19 per cent growth year on year, the region's presence in Cambodian hotels and guesthouses saw the fastest growth.

“The EU and US made big contributions to this industry and the issue [of EU economic crisis] needs to be discussed. But if we look at the numbers, Asian countries are leading,” said Mohan Gunti, an advisor to the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said yesterday.

“These Asian countries are booming and Cambodia is already focussing on the Chinese market.”

Hopes for a increase in Chinese visitors were bolstered in early April when Cambodia and China pledged to double bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2017, a move that would see heavy marketing for Cambodian tourism in China.

As a bulwark against Europe's economic woes, World Bank Cambodia senior economist Enrique Aldaz-Carroll said the Kingdom should strengthen its connectivity with the region.

“The integration will enable Cambodia to benefit more from the growth in ASEAN economies and in the region. This will allow Cambodian firms to be more productive by reaping economies of scale and becoming part of production networks. It will also attract greater investment,” he wrote in an email yesterday.

The World Bank report also noted a possible impact on countries reliant on external remittance.

About 3 per cent of Cambodia's GDP in 2010 was via remittance from abroad, the report showed.

The percentage was low compared to the Philippines, however, where remittance accounted for 10.7 percent of GDP that year.

Source: Phnompenhpost/13June2012

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Tourism Indochina: Thailand reiterates strong commitment to sustainable tourism development

Thailand reiterates strong commitment to sustainable tourism development

PR No.:PR 12029,Chiang Mai,11 May 12

Thailand’s Prime Minster, Yingluck Shinawatra, has become the latest head of state to join the Global Leaders for Tourism Campaign, a joint UNWTO / World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) initiative aimed at rallying support for tourism among world leaders (Bangkok, Thailand, 2 May 2012).

“The stance of the Thai Government towards tourism is one of strong support, as evidenced by the announcement of 2012 as the Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand,” said Prime Minister Shinawatra. “In this regard, we need to focus on the needs of tourists and leave them with the best possible impression. We need to make sure that relevant infrastructure for hotels and restaurants is in place, as well as advancing in other areas such as visa facilitation.”

Presenting the Prime Minister with an Open Letter on the importance of tourism to global growth and development, Mr. Rifai praised the Government for its commitment to the tourism sector, particularly in times of crisis.

“The Thai Government has been a strong advocate of tourism for years,” said Mr. Rifai. “A direct result of this support has been the phenomenal rise of Thailand up the tourism league tables. Today, despite the challenges of the past few years, Thailand remains one of the world’s most-visited and attractive destinations.”

David Scowsill, President & CEO of WTTC said: “Thailand has shown incredible resilience in the face of natural disasters over the last few years and has repeatedly demonstrated that it is able to re-invent itself while remaining true to its deep cultural history. Domestic tourism has also risen in the past decades, as well as various forms of niche tourism that cater to various markets, reflecting dynamism and adaptability as well as a huge recognition of the role tourism plays in the economy. In 2011, Travel & Tourism supported 4.4million jobs which is over 11% of total employment; and also contributed THB 1,735.5bn to the economy, that is 16.3% of total GDP. This commitment of leadership to advancing Thailand’s deeply cultural Travel & Tourism industry is enriched by the signing of the Open Letter.” WTTC Members from Lebua Hotels & Resorts, Deepak Ohri and Rattawadee Bualert were also present at the meeting.

The meeting with the Prime Minister was held ahead of the 24th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia and the Pacific and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (3-5 May, Chiang Mai, Thailand) during which senior tourism officials debated how to ensure the sustainability of their fast-growing tourism markets.

According to UNWTO’s long-term forecast, Tourism Towards 2030, international tourist arrivals to Asia and the Pacific will increase from 204 million in 2010 to 535 million in 2030. As a result, the region will receive a 30% share of the world’s international tourists by 2030. Thailand is an excellent example of the “dynamism of the region”, said Mr. Rifai, having received 19 million international tourists and earning US$ 26 billion in international tourism receipts in 2011.

A High-Level Regional Conference on Green Tourism was held as part of the Commission, to present national experiences on how, if properly planned and managed, tourism can be one of the most promising drivers of sustainable socio-economic development in Asia and the Pacific.

Source: UNWTO/11May2012

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Tourism Indochina: Guesthouses rebut calls for fair prices

Guesthouses rebut calls for fair prices

Hotel and guesthouse operators have pushed back against government calls to avoid price increases during holidays, claiming group booking, as well as supply and demand, dictated the price of accommodation.

Government officials, including Prime Minister Hun Sen, have recently tried to dissuade operators from raising the cost of rooms over such holidays as the King’s Birthday and Khmer New Year.

The Premier said unfair jumps in price hurt the industry as a whole.

Kim Chantha, the owner of a 20-room guesthouse in Sihanoukville, said price increases to the end customer were beyond her control.

Group tour operators often booked the entire guesthouse and charged customers prices higher than the normal rate, she said.

The mark-up on a room was often US$10 on top of the original $15, as they will be on the King’s Birthday weekend, which begins on Sunday and lasts three days, Kim Chantha said. She said she refused to double the price.

“Price increases don’t happen all the time, just during the holidays,” she said.

At a Ministry of Tourism meeting yesterday, Secretary of State Ros Ren said operators lied to customers during Khmer New Year about how many rooms were available in the hope of making more money.

He called on provincial authorities to crack down on unfair prices, which he claimed could ruin trips for travellers.

“It’s a festival, and we have that festival only one time [a year],” Ros Ren said.

Price increases at hotels had been limited, Cambodian Resort Hotel sales and marketing manager You Sokkeng said yesterday, adding that any climb in price was “related to marketing theory”.

“When there is more demand, price will increase.”

Preah Sihanouk province deputy governor Phai Phan said controlling private sector prices was difficult.

He also agreed that some increases were unavoidable in his province.

“Sihanouk province is different from the other provinces because it needs to import almost all meats and vegetables,” Phai Phan said.

Source: Phnompenhpost/11May2012

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: Visa facilitation can create five million additional jobs in G20 economies

Visa facilitation can create five million additional jobs in G20 economies

PR No.:PR12031,Merida,17 May 12

Visa facilitation is central to stimulating economic growth and job creation through tourism. The G20 can have a particularly important role to play in this respect. G20 economies could boost their international tourist numbers by an additional 122 million, generate an extra US$ 206 billion in tourism exports and create over five million additional jobs by 2015 by improving visa processes, according to preliminary research by UNWTO and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) presented on the occasion of the T20 Ministers’ Meeting (Merida, Mexico, 16 May 2012).

Preliminary findings show that of the 656 million international tourists who visited G20 countries in 2011, 110 million needed a visa, while millions more were deterred from traveling by the cost, waiting time and difficulty of obtaining a visa.

Facilitating visas for these tourists, many from some of the world’s fastest growing source markets, could create over five million additional jobs in the G20 economies by 2015 and generate an additional US$ 206 billion in international tourism receipts.

In spite of the great strides made in recent decades to facilitate tourist travel, there are still important areas of opportunity, namely considering the possibilities to maximize the use of information and communication technologies in improving visa procedures. Further opportunities include improving the delivery of information, facilitating current processes to obtain visas, differentiated treatment to facilitate tourist travel, instituting eVisa programmes and establishing regional agreements for visa facilitation.

Implementing any or a combination of these can yield substantial returns in visits, tourism receipts and jobs for the G20 economies. Referring particularly to the dramatic situation of unemployment, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, called on G20 Governments to look into enhancing visa facilitation in support of job creation. “Small steps towards visa facilitation can result in big economic benefits. By facilitating visas, the G20 countries stand to gain five million jobs at a time of rampant unemployment across the world. These are in addition to the hundreds of millions of direct and indirect jobs already being supported every day by the sector.”

David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “Encouraging freedom to travel is a simple step that Governments around the world can take to encourage more travelers and the creation of millions of new jobs and billions of dollars of GDP – without compromising national security. For the first time, this report makes clear the extent of the opportunity – it cannot be ignored.”

Source: UNWTO/17May2012

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: International tourism off to a strong start in 2012

International tourism off to a strong start in 2012

PR No.: PRPR12028
Madrid, Batumi, 10 May 12

International tourist arrivals worldwide grew by 5.7% in the first two months of 2012. Demand remained strong in both advanced and emerging economy destinations, despite economic constraints in many of the source markets of Europe and North America.

The first results of 2012 indicate that international tourism continued to show sustained growth in spite of challenging economic conditions. During the first two months of 2012, international tourist arrivals grew by an estimated 5.7% compared to the same period of 2011, according to the May issue of the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, released in Batumi, Georgia on the occasion of the 54th UNWTO Commission for Europe.

Europe sees continued growth

In Europe (+5%) results were above expectations, boosted by the strong growth in arrivals to Central and Eastern Europe (+8%) as well as to destinations of Northern Europe and Western Europe (both +6%). Europe’s performance is a continuation of an already solid 2011, when international arrivals increased by 6% overall to over 500 million. Demand has held up surprisingly well in the comparatively mature advanced economy destinations of Northern, Western and parts of Southern and Central Europe, despite continued concerns about the economy.

“These are welcome results for Europe in a moment in which countries are looking for sectors that can deliver on economic growth and job creation,” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai. “We need to work together with tourism administrations to ensure that governments give priority to tourism as part of national policies to stimulate growth and employment. In this respect, the 54th Meeting of UNWTO Commission for Europe is focusing on levers that can further enhance tourism development, particularly the crucial issues of visa facilitation, tourism promotion and branding.”

At the same time, international tourism has been particular buoyant in many emerging economy destinations in Eastern Europe. “Eastern European destinations have strong tourism potential provided they shape the adequate conditions. Georgia, this year’s host of the UNWTO Commission for Europe, is a remarkable example of a destination with a strong commitment towards tourism development,” added Mr. Rifai. “As a result, arrivals have almost tripled in the past five years, from just below a million in 2006 to close to 3 million in 2011, with international tourism receipts reaching almost US$ 1 billion in 2011.”

Encouraging results across the world

In the first months of 2012, growth was positive in all regions, with the exception of the Middle East (-1%), where there were nonetheless encouraging signs of recovery, such as in Egypt (+32% in the first quarter). South-East Asia and South Asia (both at +10%) led growth by subregion.

Africa was the fastest-growing region with an increase of over 7% in international tourist arrivals thanks to continued growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (+7%) and a clear rebound in North Africa (+8%) as Tunisia (+53% in the first quarter) started to recover. Asia and the Pacific saw a 7% increase in tourist arrivals, led by South Asia and South-East Asia (both +10%). North-East Asia (+6%) recorded higher growth as well, with arrivals to Japan up by almost 10% in the first quarter. The Americas also reported significant growth (+6%), driven by the sustained strong demand in South America (+8%) and Central America (+7%).

Worldwide, international tourist arrivals surpassed 131 million in the first two months of 2012, up from 124 million in the same period of 2011.

According to the forecast prepared by UNWTO at the beginning of the year, international tourist arrivals are projected to increase by some 3% to 4% in 2012. For the year as a whole, the number of international tourist arrivals is expected to reach one billion for the first time.

Source: UNWTO/10May2012

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Tourism Indochina: Northeast new focus for tourism

Northeast new focus for tourism

The Ministry of Tourism will shift its focus to ecotourism development in the Kingdom’s northeast after efforts to promote travel to Cambodia’s coastline proved successful.

Whereas Tourism Minister Thong Kong had once asked officials to focus on industry improvement in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, the ministry will now put an increasing amount of resources into ecotourism in Kratie, Stung Trung, Ratanakkiri and Mondulkiri provinces.

“In the coming months, we will hold a big seminar in the northeastern area of the country to focus on the ecotourism. We will strengthen those provinces because in the past we strengthened the coastal area,” he said yesterday.

The seminar will be held in October, he said.

The potential for Cambodia’s second-biggest industry by revenues in the northeast was big, Thong Kong said.

Dolphin watching, natural beauty and ethnic diversity in the region were some of the highlights of the region, he said.

International-tourist visits to the northeastern provinces increased by 17.2 per cent to 18,288 tourists compared to the same period last year, according to three-month statistics from the Ministry of Tourism.

Thong Khon also urged private sector forces to help in the development of human resource in the tourism field.

Nget Pitou, director of Ratanakiri’s Tourism Department, said hightened attention on the region could be successful because the provinces offered several untapped tourism resources.

“I see a lots of potential eco-sites in the northeastern provinces,” he said.

Source: Phnompenhpost/9May2012

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Tourism Indochina: New bus to Siem Reap

New bus to Siem Reap

A new luxury bus service from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap has arrived in the Kingdom. Giant Ibis, named for the rare national bird of Cambodia, is a US$13 per seat bus service that started operations on May 5.

The cost, which may seem over-priced for Cambodia, is quickly forgotten when you enter the startlingly luxurious bus and stretch your legs in the entire metre of leg room available.

“Fantastic, the service was really wonderful,” said Tony, 48 of the luxury busses, and Virak, 24, said: “It was great. The best bus I have ever been on.”

Currently the service runs twice daily at 8:45am and 12:30pm, but spokesperson Vibol Yoy has said they plan to increase the number of bus services in the near future.

The fully air-conditioned busses offer reclining seats, wi-fi, a large TV with a full selection of movies and a sound system above each seat that can be manually turned on or off.

The bus provides drinks and snacks and will even provide breakfast for the morning service.

The fleet of six luxury Hyundai Universe busses, owned by Royal Cambodian limousine service, is focused on quality to customers.

“We provide extensive road-safety and customer service training to all our staff. Our focus is on allowing people to have a happy and safe time when they use our service,” said Yoy.

The name behind the company comes from the rare, and once thought extinct, giant ibis, known in Khmer as tror yorng and in 2005 was declared as the national bird of Cambodia.

The population of the birds is thought to number only about 100 in the Kingdom, which is the largest population in the world.

The company has stated that it will give three cents of each ticket to help save the endangered bird.

The bus service travels through Kompong Cham province and crosses a small town called Skun, which is famous for fried spider, and they are apparently eaten regularly, indeed every day, by the locals.

The spiders are bred in holes in the ground, and the taste has been described as “interesting” by tourists.

The bus service will offer the opportunity for the more adventurous of it customers to sample the fried spider as the bus passes through the town.

Source: Phnompenhpost/17May2012

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Tourism Indochina: Welcome to Koh Rong

Tourism Indochina: Welcome to Koh Rong

Koh Rong is an Island off the coast of Sihanoukville.

Sihanoukville (Krong Preah Seihanu), formerly Kompong Som and familiarly just Snookyville or even Snooky is a seaside town featuring Cambodia's best-known beaches.

In a land with thousands of years of history, Sihanoukville is a colourful but tragic upstart. A mere fifty years ago, a French-Cambodian construction carved a camp out of the jungle and started building the first deep-sea port of a newly independent Cambodia. Named Sihanoukville in 1964 after the ruling prince of Cambodia, the booming port and its golden beaches soon drew Cambodia's jetsetting elite, spawning the first Angkor Beer brewery and the modernist seven-story Independence Hotel which, claim locals, even played host to Jacqueline Kennedy on her whirlwind tour of Cambodia in 1967.

Alas, the party came to an abrupt end in 1970 when Sihanouk was deposed in a coup and Cambodia descended into civil war. The town – renamed Kompong Som – soon fell on hard times: the victorious Khmer Rouge used the Independence Hotel for target practice and, when they made the mistake of hijacking an American container ship, the port was bombed by the U.S. Air Force. Even after Pol Pot's regime was driven from power, the bumpy highway to the capital was long notorious for banditry and the beaches stayed empty.

Peace returned in 1993 following the historic elections organized by the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia ( UNTAC) and in the ensuing ten years Sihanoukville has been busy picking up the pieces. First visited only by a few intrepid backpackers, guidebooks still talk of walls pockmarked by bullets, but any signs of war are hard to spot in today's Sihanoukville, whose new symbol seems to be the construction site. After 30 years of housing only ghosts, the Independence Hotel is up and running again, more and more Khmers and expats have settled down to run bars and restaurants, and the knowledge of what the New York Times dubbed "Asia's next trendsetting beach" is starting to spread.

Since Snooky is a relatively new city (1950) and did grow along with the steady growth of the tourists, all the negative elements came along. It is not safe (even for men) to walk alone on the beach after 9pm, there are plenty of glue sniffing kids and a lot of Java (Methamphetamine) smoking girls and boys and probably the worst Tuk Tuk Mafia (all with price agreements. But the worst are the relatively old Foreigners spending a lot of time there during the cold winter months together with an 40 or even younger girl, but not talking to her at all. And of course these guys they start drinking beer at 9am and don't stop unil 10pm........ Your best bet for a relaxing holiday is OTRES beach to the east or then to one of these guest houses on the Islands. Then you can still enjoy it.

Come back to talk about Koh Rong...

Koh Rong can be reached by a ferry ride from Sihanoukville. The ferry itself is pretty basic and there are no proper seats on any of the ferries. There are benches on either side of the ferry, leaving the middle portion to be used for luggage, though some enterprising travellers use the area to stretch out and catch a quick snooze. Make sure you carry a hat and sunglasses for the ride, and use sunscreen if required. The ferries usually leave in the morning to the island from Sihanoukville, and do a return trip in the afternoon, so it will be sunny. As of now, water is not sold on the ferry and neither are snacks or other drinks. It may be a good idea to carry some with you, especially if you are travelling with children. There is a small toilet on board the ferry which seems to be clean and in decent working condition.

To board and disembark from the ferry you will need to walk on an average sized plank of wood connecting the pier to the ferry. The process is not very efficient and can be a little scary the first time you try it, so bear this in mind if you have any foot injuries, have special needs etc.

Currently, ferries run to two opposite sides of the island.

1) The Dive Shop and Monkey Island ferries leave Sihanoukville at around 12 pm or so and reach the island in the afternoon. There is also a return ferry running at 10 am from the island to Sihanoukville as of February 2012. This ferry will not take you to Sok-San bungalows, which is on the other side of the island.

2) Similarly, Sok-San bungalows run a ferry service which leaves Sihanoukville at 9 am or so, but this ferry will not take you to the side of the island where Monkey Island bungalows, Treehouse bungalows, Paradise bungalows, Pura Vida, etc. are situated.

Make sure that you are absolutely certain that the ferry you are booked to take will drop you off at your destination. There have been instances of resort owners refusing to let guests take boats to the other side of the island (Sok-San to Monkey Island etc.), and insisting that you stay on their beach.

All services cost $15 return (lately, most of the bigger boats started charging 20$ with return). However, if you find that you have ended up at a different place from where you landed on the island, you can still catch a ride on any of the return ferries if they have room. You will be charged $10 for a single trip from the island to Sihanoukville.

Also note that all ferry tickets include a ride to and from the main town area in Sihanoukville, so you should not have to pay extra for the same.

There are no roads on the island yet so the only way to get around is on foot. The walking man of Koh Rong (an Israeli guy called Gil) has marked trails that lead from the beach closest to Monkey Island and Paradise Bungalows to other beaches but most of the island is still thick jungle. Gil knows the hidden trails of the island very well and offers trecking tours from 1 to 4 days (cost ca. 10 USD per day per person and is wortj every dollar). The only other option is to hire a local fishing boat to take you around the Island.

With 23 white sand beaches to choose from Koh Rong has plenty to see and do. For the adventurous there's plenty of trekking to be done through the relatively untouched jungle. Diving and snorkelling is excellent both off the beach and at sites nearby. But above all the best attraction is the phosphorescent water which sparkles when disturbed like twinkling stars. Best seen in around 4 feet of water and on a dark part of the beach. Because Koh Rong has minimal development and light pollution the conditions are perfect for the phosphorescent plankton and it can be seen every single night.

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Tourism Indochina: Cambodia’s tourism growth to reach 20%

Cambodia’s tourism growth to reach 20%

Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism is projecting sizeable growth for the industry this year, according to Director General Tith Chantha.

Pointing to the about 28 per cent year-on-year increase in visitors in January, he said the ministry has estimated the rest of 2012 would enjoy a similar upward trend.

“The jump [in January] will lead our total for the year to increase at least 20 per cent,” he said.

Tith Chantha credited the rising figure to greater flight connections with ASEAN countries.

However, Ho Vandy, co-chair of the Government-Private Sector Working Group on Tourism, said any number of factors could affect the Kingdom’s tourism industry, not the least of was economic troubles in Europe, and as a result there was no guarantee the ministry’s target would be reached.

“It could be wrong or right because many issues are occurring now,” he said.

Source: PPPost/21March2012

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Tourism Indochina: Kampot visitors jump on Bokor opening

Kampot visitors jump on Bokor opening

The Bokor Resort, in Kampot province, attracted 162.5 per cent more Cambodian tourists to the province in the first five months of the year compared with 2011, tourism officials said yesterday.

About 420,000 Cambodians visited the seaside province between January and May, up from 160,000 during the same time in 2011, Soy Sinol, the director of Kampot’s Department of Tourism, said.

The opening of the resort at the beginning of May was the main attraction bringing local tourists to the area, he said.

The number of Cambodians pouring into the province was greater than both Water Festival and Phchum Ben, a traditional festival in early autumn.

International tourist numbers, however, increased by only one per cent during the first five months of this year.

About 8,900 foreigners had visited the province during that period, Soy Sinol said.

The Bokor resort would need more time to draw international visitors from Vietnam and Thailand, Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents, said yesterday.

Source: PPPost/7June2012

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: 2012 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards winners unveiled

2012 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards winners unveiled

Three companies and one destination, from four continents, have been recognised for their best practices in sustainable tourism at this year’s World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

The four winners were selected from 12 Award finalists and announced onstage during the opening ceremony of the WTTC Global Summit in Tokyo, Japan on 17 April.

The WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are among the highest accolades in the Travel & Tourism industry, and recognise companies, organisations and destinations around the world which showcase outstanding sustainable tourism achievements. They are the only global sustainable tourism awards that include on-site evaluation inspections of all finalists, conducted by a team of expert international judges.

The 2012 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards winners hail from South America, North America, Europe, and Asia. These diverse set of winners and emerged as victors over 150 entries from more than 60 countries.

The winners are:
Community Benefit Award - Saunders Hotel Group, USA:
- This local family-owned hotel group has been a leader in sustainable tourism practices as far back as the early 1980s, when they converted an old police building in Boston, Massachusetts into an historic hotel and worked with local community partners to build affordable housing in the same area. Through initiatives that are driven and supported by all levels of their staff, the group supports dozens of local charity and non-profit groups with a combination of financial backing, volunteer time, and in-kind resources that goes far beyond most corporate social responsibility efforts. For Saunders, community service begins at ‘home’, where helping people in need is part of the company mission, recognising that disadvantaged communities can also exist in a major city in the United States.

Conservation Award - Inkaterra, Peru:
This hotel boasts long term conservation stewardship of 38,000 acres of rainforest in the Amazon basin and 25 acres of cloud forest within the Machu Picchu Historical Sanctuary. Founded in 1975, Inkaterra has grown into a renowned biodiversity research and conservation tourism company operating five hotels in the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu and the Madre de Dios area of the Amazon rainforest. As well as a 100% carbon neutral hotel stay for every guest, Inkaterra has continued to implement a host of self-supported, sustainable tourism projects to facilitate a better understanding among tourists and local peoples about the need to protect fragile habitats in the Andes and the Amazon of Peru, which is home to 84 of the world’s 104 identified ecological life zones.

Destination Stewardship Award - Destination Røros, Norway:
Their successful multi-stakeholder approach to creating a thriving sustainable tourism destination in the old mining town of Røros, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is an example for many to follow. Since the end of mining in the late 1970’s, Destination Røros has been instrumental in reversing the area’s environmental degradation, guided by a management plan that actively engages and builds cooperation among local communities, municipal authorities, and private sector stakeholders. Emphasis is placed on demonstrating that historical cultural sites and formerly degraded natural areas can be revitalised and utilised in new contexts through sustainable development, thereby bringing tangible economic benefits to the local people. Destination Røros is also a pilot project for Norway’s country-wide Sustainable Tourism Initiative.

Global Tourism Business Award - Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, headquartered in Singapore:
Their longstanding commitment to sustainability and creating tourism value recognition among stakeholders to support the protection of diverse natural and cultural heritage in worldwide destinations ranging from Mexico to China. Banyan Tree works through a three-pillar strategy: enhancing efficiency in environmental operations, conserving natural heritage and biodiversity, and social and economic empowerment of local people in the countries and regions where they operate. In addition to strong sustainable tourism practices, Banyan Tree has also fully integrated sustainability monitoring and evaluation across the company including its annual reports, in addition to issuing annual stand-alone sustainability performance reports that document projects, successes, and challenges. They have successfully done this for more than a decade, while also being one of the first global hospitality companies in the world to ban the sale of shark’s fin in all of their hotels in 2006.

David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said: ‘The Awards have been under WTTC’s stewardship for the last nine years. Since then, they have grown in calibre and reach, but the premise is the same: to give international recognition to outstanding examples of sustainable practices, from Travel & Tourism businesses across the globe.’
David continued: ‘All finalists and winners are inspiring cases of businesses providing sustainable solutions to real world problems. These actions espouse the ethos of Tourism for Tomorrow, and demonstrate true leadership in the industry.’

Commenting on their achievements, Costas Christ, Chairman of Judges, WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, noted: ‘Sustainable tourism principles are no longer solely the realm of a handful of well-meaning companies. Today, sustainability itself has emerged on the global stage as a new indicator of tourism quality, alongside traditional quality standards such as excellent guest services or a room with a view. What this means is that a measure of a company or tourism destination’s success, is now increasingly tied to their quality of sustainable tourism best practice. This is not a passing trend, but rather a positive and needed evolution of the tourism industry. The winners of this year’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards exemplify how tourism, when planned and managed well, can be a tremendous opportunity to help safeguard our planet and deliver tangible benefits to local people.’

The Tourism for Tomorrow winners underwent a rigorous four-step judging process by more than 20 independent judges from around the world, led by Costas Christ, a globally recognised expert in sustainable tourism.

The Tourism for Tomorrow Awards are organised in association with Travelport and the Travel Corporation's Conservation Foundation.
For further information about the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards and the judging process, please visit: www.tourismfortomorrow.com

Follow the Summit and have your say on our official twitter feed @WTandTC, using #WTTC2012

For further information about the Global Summit, please visit www.wttc.org/events
- ends -

For media information, please contact:

Anja Eckervogt
Media Relations Manager
Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Programme Manager
+44 (0) 7871040170
anja.eckervogt@wttc.org
----

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Tourism Indochina: World Tourism News: Visa facilitation can create five million additional jobs in G20 economies

Visa facilitation can create five million additional jobs in G20 economies

17 May 2012

Visa facilitation is central to stimulating economic growth and job creation through tourism. The G20 can have a particularly important role to play in this respect. G20 economies could boost their international tourist numbers by an additional 122 million, generate an extra US$ 206 billion in tourism exports and create over five million additional jobs by 2015 by improving visa processes, according to preliminary research by UNWTO and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) presented on the occasion of the T20 Ministers’ Meeting (Merida, Mexico, 16 May 2012).

Preliminary findings show that of the 656 million international tourists who visited G20 countries in 2011, 110 million needed a visa, while millions more were deterred from traveling by the cost, waiting time and difficulty of obtaining a visa.

Facilitating visas for these tourists, many from some of the world’s fastest growing source markets, could create over five million additional jobs in the G20 economies by 2015 and generate an additional US$ 206 billion in international tourism receipts.

In spite of the great strides made in recent decades to facilitate tourist travel, there are still important areas of opportunity, namely considering the possibilities to maximize the use of information and communication technologies in improving visa procedures. Further opportunities include improving the delivery of information, facilitating current processes to obtain visas, differentiated treatment to facilitate tourist travel, instituting eVisa programmes and establishing regional agreements for visa facilitation.

Implementing any or a combination of these can yield substantial returns in visits, tourism receipts and jobs for the G20 economies. Referring particularly to the dramatic situation of unemployment, UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, called on G20 Governments to look into enhancing visa facilitation in support of job creation. “Small steps towards visa facilitation can result in big economic benefits. By facilitating visas, the G20 countries stand to gain five million jobs at a time of rampant unemployment across the world. These are in addition to the hundreds of millions of direct and indirect jobs already being supported every day by the sector.”

David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “Encouraging freedom to travel is a simple step that Governments around the world can take to encourage more travellers and the creation of millions of new jobs and billions of dollars of GDP – without compromising national security. For the first time, this report makes clear the extent of the opportunity – it cannot be ignored.”

Contacts:

Principal Media Officer: Marcelo Risi
Tel: (+34) 91 567 81 60
mrisi@UNWTO.org

WTTC Media Relations Manager: Anja Eckervogt,
Tel: (+44) 20 7481 6484
anja.eckervogt@WTTC.org
www.WTTC.org


The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO: www.UNWTO.org), a United Nations specialized agency, is the leading international organization with the decisive and central role in promoting the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism. It serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how. Its membership includes 155 countries, 7 territories, 2 permanent observers and over 400 Affiliate Members. Follow us on twitter, vimeo and flickr.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is the global authority on the economic and social contribution of Travel & Tourism. It promotes sustainable growth for the industry, working with governments and international institutions to create jobs, to drive exports and to generate prosperity. Travel & Tourism accounts for 258 million jobs globally. At US$6 trillion (9.1% of GDP) the sector is a key driver for investment and economic growth. For more than 20 years, the World Travel & Tourism Council has been the voice of this industry globally. Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading, private sector Travel & Tourism businesses. These Members bring specialist knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making, raising awareness of the importance of the industry as an economic generator of prosperity.

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Tourism Indochina: Standards out for tourism officials

Standards out for tourism officials

Housekeeping and front offices at hotels around Cambodia are set to change as the country prepares to adopt regional standards that all ASEAN nations are trying to put in place.

The draft document on housekeeping and front-office standards, and related training courses, had been finalised by Tourism Ministry officials, Try Chhiv, director of the National Committee for Tourism Professionals, said.

The committee would wait until July, when ASEAN officials send copies of ASEAN’s standard documents, in order to ensure uniformity, he said.

The documents, implemented by trainers, trainees and employers, would become the standard for evaluating professional staff, Try Chhiv said yesterday.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said the preparation of services in compliance with ASEAN standards was crucial for Cambodian tourism.

“I want Cambodia to go along with ASEAN,” he said.

Thong Khon said Cambodia did not yet have state-run professional schools for training, but staff were trained by private-sector partners.

Cambodia’s tourism sector employed about 400,000 people and would need twice that number by 2020, Ang Kim Eang, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said.

Source: PPPost/22May2012

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Tourism Indochina: Visitors from Vietnam up 18 per cent in Q1

Visitors from Vietnam up 18 per cent in Q1

The number of Vietnamese tourists visiting Cambodia and Cambodians visiting Vietnam has increased recently, according to new data released by the Cambodian tourism ministry.

Vietnam has the largest number of tourists visiting Cambodia at 600,000, or 21 per cent, of all international visitors.

In the first quarter this year there was an 18 per cent increase in the number of Vietnamese tourists compared to the same time last year, said Thong Khon, Cambodia’s tourism minister.

“Most Vietnamese tourists who come to Cambodia visit Angkor Wat and many report that they like Cambodian fish and enjoy visiting Cambodian markets,” said Thong Khon.

The Cambodian tourism ministry estimates that the number of Cambodians visiting Vietnam has increased by 30 per cent annually over the past several years.

“About 420,000 Cambodians visit Vietnam annually, and many go there for health care,” said Thong Khon.

He said the ministry is very interested in increasing tourism between not only Vietnam but especially other nearby ASEAN nations.

“We have a lot of projects to increase tourism in the region,” he said.

Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam held talks on the subject at the 8th International Travel Expo in Ho Chi Minh City from September 14 to 17 last year, and the Cambodian tourism ministry plans to attend another from the September 13 to 15 this year, he said.

Vietnam and Cambodia now have a cross-border transportation agreement under which 19 companies have licences to operate.

Thirty-nine trips with 300 buses travel to and from Ho Chi Minh and Phnom Penh every day, according to the Cambodian tourism ministry.

Recently another luxury bus service, offering six trips a day to Phnom Penh from Ho Chi Minh City, has been launched by the Cambodian tourism ministry and NagaWorld Group.

Source: PPPost/22May2012

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Tourism Indochina: Preah Vihear on the tourist trail

Preah Vihear on the tourist trail

The number of international tourists visiting Preah Vihear temple increased more than 166 per cent in the first four months of this year compared to the same time last year, tourism officials said yesterday.

Combat between Cambodia and Thailand over an area near the temple discouraged tourism in the region early last year.

Kong Vibol, Preah Vihear province’s tourism department director, said the number of foreign tourists increased from 950 in the first four months of last year compared to 2,527 this year.

“Most of [the] tourists come from Asia, and they go there by driving [their own vehicles], but there are not so many tourists [who] went there [in] groups,” said Kong Vibol.

The number of Cambodians visiting the temple increased more than 49 per cent between January and April. “We see more and more visitors at the temple because there were not many last year due to the clash in February,” Kong Vibol said.

Kong said he expects the number of tourists to decrease in the coming months because of the rainy season.

According to Ho Vandy, co-chair of the government-private sector working group on tourism, said visiting the site of Thai-Cambodian border clashes was a main reason for visiting the temple. More tourists are also arriving due to better roads and other infrastructure in the region, he said.

The last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge, Anlong Veng, has also become a popular destination.

“The private sector is trying to promote the temple with tourist packages. There wasn’t any interest but now things are starting to change,” he added.

Source: PPPost/18May2012

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Tourism Indochina: Phnom Penh, new destination

Phnom Penh, new destination

Starting 27 March 2011, Air France will begin operating a new service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. Flight bookings and ticket sales are now open.

The three weekly flights between Paris and Phnom Penh, with a stopover in Bangkok, will be operated by Airbus A340-300 equipped with 275 seats (30 in Business, 21 in Premium Voyageur and 224 in Voyageur-Economy), and subsequently during summer 2011 by Boeing 777-200ER equipped with 309 seats (35 in Business, 24 in Premium Voyageur and 250 in Voyageur-Economy).

Flight schedules between Paris and Phnom Penh

Paris-CDG / Phnom Penh
AF 274, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
Departing at 19:30, and arriving in Bangkok at 11:50, the following day,
Departing for Phnom Penh the same day at 13:20, arriving at 14.35
Phnom Penh / Paris-CDG
AF 273, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Departing at 20:15, and arriving in Bangkok at 21:30
Departing for Paris the same day at 22:55, and arriving at 06:10, the following day.

Flight times allow customers to benefit from convenient connecting opportunities to and from destinations worldwide at Paris-Charles de Gaulle.


Source: Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia

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Tourism Indochina: Bicycle tours take people off the beaten path around Cambodia

Bicycle tours take people off the beaten path around Cambodia

Cycling is becoming increasingly popular in Cambodia, and bicycle tours are being seen as an active and exciting way for tourists to see the less noticed parts of the kingdom, said Adam Platt-Hepworth, the regional manager of Grasshopper Adventures, a bike tour company.

Grasshopper Adventures, at #23 on Street 144, runs regular tours in numerous Southeast Asian countries, and operates through other tour services in other nearby countries such as China, India and Malaysia.

The company was started four years ago and was run out of a house in Tuol Sleng. “At first it was really hard to get business because Cambodia was not known as a bike riding destination,” said Platt-Hepworth. “Our first real break came when we were mentioned in a Lonely Planet guide and a few in-flight magazines,” he said.

Now the company has two locations in Cambodia, in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and runs one or two tours from Phnom Penh a day and two to three from Siem Reap, depending on the time of year. Most of their business comes from online bookings and is mostly Australian or western tourists, but is becoming popular among tourists from Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, he said.

The most popular trips are day trips to the Mekong islands, the Siem Reap countryside and a 16-day trip from Angkor Wat to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, which has a two day stopover on Phu Quoc Island.

The company has looked at expanding to other places across the Kingdom, and north-east Cambodia was considered, but the number of tourists was deemed to be too small, Platt-Hepworth said.

The company works with social development NGO SokSaBike, which operates bike tours in Battambang.

“They were using old classic-style bikes for the tours so we donated newer and better bikes to them because we wanted to support them,” he said. More details, please visit PhnomPenhPost.com

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