Cambodia ready to attract tourists, its tourism ministry says

Be one of the millions of visitors to Cambodia this year to experience its wonders of rich heritage and history, top tourism officials from the country said in a roadshow in Seoul on Thursday...

Long Phirum, secretary of state of the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, addresses the audience at a roadshow hosted by the ministry with the Cambodian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday, at Coex, southern Seoul. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Be one of the millions of visitors to Cambodia this year to experience its wonders of rich heritage and history, top tourism officials from the country said in a roadshow in Seoul on Thursday.

"Cambodia expects to see some four million tourists return to the country this year, as we get ready to host several international events, including the Southeast Asian Games this month," Long Phirum, a top tourism official from Cambodia, said in addressing dozens of representatives of travel associations, hoteliers and airline corporations of Korea at Coex, southern Seoul.

"We will be providing free accommodation and transportation of the athletes traveling into Cambodia for the Southeast Asian Games, and even free access to all media groups to the games," Long said.

Cambodia is hosting the Southeast Asian Games from Friday to May 17 and dubbed the year 2023 as a special tourism year with the slogan, "Every Day is a Wonder."

Effectively revitalizing the pandemic-stricken tourism industry, some 2.3 million tourists visited Cambodia last year, according to the country's Tourism Ministry, marking a huge boost from just 200,000 international visitors to the country in 2021.

Several tourism companies put forward travel packages at the roadshow organized by the Cambodian Embassy in Seoul with the Tourism Ministry of Cambodia.

A tourist takes a picture of the sunrise at the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Jan.14. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

"You cannot go to Cambodia and not visit Angkor Wat," Kong Rothlomang, another senior-level official from the Tourism Ministry, said. "But besides the temples, we have community-based tourism that will take you not only to the cultural heritages but also some beautiful natural sites."

Not far from Siem Reap, for instance, is the Tonle Sap Lake, Kong said, where visitors can see floating houses on either side of the lake.

Some tourism agencies presenting their products at the roadshow said they wish to partner with Korean tour organizations.

"After the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been planning to expand our market to Asia, including Korea," Om Pharin, chief executive of Charming Cambodia Tours, said.

Companies such as Naga World, Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh, Won Majestic Hotel and Satguru Travel and Tours Company presented their products at the roadshow.

Chring Botumrangsay, Cambodia's ambassador to Korea, said, "I am very pleased to have this opportunity to celebrate the reopening of our tourism industry after the challenging time we all faced during the Covid-19 pandemic," adding, "The past three years have been a very difficult journey for all of us, especially in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Tourists visit the Angkor Wat temple complex, a Unesco World Heritage Site, in Siem Reap province on Jan. 16. [AFP/YONHAP]

“We are now thrilled to see tourists returning to our communities, bringing new opportunity for growth and prosperity,” she said. “I hope that by the end of the event today, all of the distinguished guests here today will have a better understanding of what makes Cambodia such a special and unique travel destination.”

In 2020, around 55,000 Koreans traveled to Cambodia, which came in as the fifth largest group after China, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States, according to Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

Long Phirum, secretary of state of the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia, fourth from front left, and members of the tourism agencies of Cambodia and Korea at a roadshow hosted by the ministry and the Cambodian Embassy in Seoul on Thursday. [ESTHER CHUNG]

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]