Phnom Penh (VNA) – The Cambodian tourism sector
and authorities have been implementing solutions to prepare for peak tourist
season, including simplifying entry procedures at the instruction of Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet.
At a meeting with more than 18,000 workers in Phnom Penh on October 3, the PM noted the possibility of simplifying entry procedures so that Thai tourists can
visit Cambodia’s Siem Reap with citizen identification cards, instead of
passports.
He said he regularly promotes tourism cooperation, especially
attracting foreign tourists to Cambodia.
At recent meetings with leaders of Thailand and the
Philippines, he proposed opening direct flights from Phuket (Thailand), and
Cebu (Philippines) to Cambodia.
Cambodia is also preparing to put Siem Reap-Angkor
International Airport into operation and plans to open a direct flight
from Siem Reap city to Seoul, the Republic of Korea in December 2023, to
attract more Korean tourists to the Southeast Asian country.
According to Cambodia’s Ministry of Tourism, in the first
eight months of this year, the country welcomed more than 3.5 million
international tourists, an increase of nearly 251% over the same period in
2022.
In the year “Cambodia Tourism This year 2023”, it expects
to welcome about 5 million international visitors and about 17 million domestic
tourists.
After a low season, the number of tourists coming to Siem Reap to visit the World Heritage
Site Angkor Wat and the temples in the Angkor relic complex has gradually
increased even though the peak tourist season has yet to come. Cambodia’s peak
tourist season is expected to begin from mid-October and last until March the next year./.
VNA