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seangkhun
An awarding country
World’s second favourite long-haul destination
Cambodia was voted the world’s second favourite long-haul destination for British tourists at the 2009 Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk Travel Awards in the UK. Cambodia finished second to New Zealand and ahead of Chile (3); Vietnam (4); and Japan (5).
Best Overseas Tourism Initiative
ConCERT - a Siem Reap based organisation that helps tourists support local worthy causes - has won the prestigious British Guild of Travel Writers’ Award for the Best Overseas Tourism Initiative. The award is given for the best new (less than two years old) overseas tourism project, which not only has tourist potential but is of benefit to the local community and environment.
Organisations from around the world are nominated by guild members and ConCERT was one of 8 projects in the overseas tourism category. The other two finalists selected were the Magritte Museum, the former home of the artist René Magritte in Brussels, and the 12km Al-Ayoun Trail in Jordan, the country’s first ever cooperative run tourism venture. ConCERT was nominated by Hilary Bradt, one of Britain’s most distinguished travel authors, who the same evening won the guild’s lifetime achievement award. ConCERT’s founder and chairman Michael Horton joined Hilary in London to collect the award in the presence of over 300 leading travel journalists and authors. Horton, originally from North Yorkshire in England, has been involved with development work in south-east Asia since 1998 and founded ConCERT in 2008. www.concertcambodia.org.
World Travel Award
Le Meridien Angkor was awarded the titles ‘Cambodia’s Leading Hotel’ and ‘Cambodia’s Leading Spa Resort’, for the third consecutive year at the 16th World Travel Awards Regional Ceremony in London on 7 November 2009. The awards are based on the votes of over 170,000 industry professionals worldwide for the very best travel, tourism and hospitality products and services. The hotel’s general manager, Gregory Anderson, said this award was a “superb testament” to the work of his dedicated management team and associates over recent years. Le Méridien Angkor is located close to the Angkor Wat temple complex and is 14 kilometres from Siem Reap International Airport.
Koh Kong is King
Lonely Planet has listed Cambodia’s Koh Kong province among its top-ten regions for 2010 in its Best in Travel 2010 publication.
Released in November 2009, Best in Travel 2010 is the publisher’s fifth annual collection of the world’s best journeys, destinations, and experiences for the coming year.
The guidebook presents the top ten countries, regions, and cities to visit in 2010, chosen by Lonely Planet’s global team. Also included are a 2010 travel planner and 17 travel lists, including ‘2010’s Best-Value Destinations’ and ‘Top Ten Airports’. www.lonelyplanet.com
Located in south-west Cambodia, Koh Kong province has a long undeveloped coastline and a mountainous, forested and largely inaccessible interior which embraces part of the Cardamom Mountains and a section of Kirirom National Park. The province is an increasingly popular gateway to Cambodia from Hat Lek in south-east Thailand. However, tourists entering Cambodia by this route should be aware of the illegal ‘visa processing fees’ charged by the Cambodian immigration officials, irrespective of whether they already have a visa or not.
Koh Kong is linked to Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville by National Route 4. The road is newly surfaced and has five new bridges across attractive rivers. The Cardamom Mountains are one of Asia’s most pristine ecological areas but also one of its most inaccessible, so this route provides a unique glimpse of Cambodia’s least developed and unspoiled region.
Border crossing aside, travelling by road to Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville via this route is a scenic and enjoyable experience. Alternatively, taking the boat from Koh Kong town around the coast to Sihanoukville can also be enjoyable, provided you don’t try this in the rainy season when the seas can be quite rough. (Tourists should be aware that the fast narrow passenger boats plying this route were designed for river travel, not the open sea, and being seated inside leaves little hope of escape should the boat overturn.)
Koh Kong Island has one of the best beaches in south-east Asia. Day tours and overnight adventure trips to Koh Kong Island and other Islands in Koh Kong province, as well as the Pream Krasop mangroves (Asia’s largest), waterfalls, trekking, and 4 wheel-drive Cardamom Mountain tours are all available from Koh Kong Divers. Koh Kong Divers also offer PADI courses and daily dive trips and snorkelling to Cambodia’s best diving sites. www.kohkongdivers.com.
Sustainable tourism
- the importance of tourism to Cambodia's future economy by Michael Horton
After more than a decade of spectacular growth, how can the tourism industry in Cambodia respond to the more demanding market conditions now faced by holiday destinations worldwide? In common with all periods of adversity, the current situation also presents opportunities for those willing and able to respond to the challenges ahead.
Tourism has played an important role in the development of Cambodia. It has brought employment, improvements in infrastructure, training and general education and living standards for many people, and raised the international profile of Cambodia. Its growth has helped diversify economic activity, and broaden the base of foreign earnings, currently dominated by the garment industry.
But the tourism industry itself needs to diversify and mature. More needs to be done to both promote, and to support Cambodia as a holistic destination in its own right. In recent years the question taxing most industry players was how to increase the yield from each tourist: how to encourage them to stay longer; how to add more value? With visitor numbers expected to fall, this has assumed a greater priority, and is now joined by the question of how to keep up the numbers.
Undoubtedly and quite rightly, any future Cambodian tourism experience is going to involve the Angkor temples. This World Heritage Site has driven tourism development and it has been relatively easy and inexpensive to improve the infrastructure around a small area of Siem Reap to produce world class, 5-star experiences - a modern airport, easy transfers the short distance to town, a wide range of accommodation types, an impressive range of restaurants, and other tourism related businesses.
The problem is that it has been all too easy to develop the tourism industry around Angkor. A typical itinerary combines a few days in Siem Reap plus a visit to Phnom Penh with the whole trip maybe lasting less than a week, and often as an add on to a longer regional tour. This makes Cambodia vulnerable as demonstrated by the knock on effect of problems at Bangkok airport at the end of 2008, which seriously affected arrivals. Another result of these whistle stop tours of Angkor/Siem Reap – Phnom Penh is that many visitors take away a narrow and distorted view of the country, one in which a stroll down “Pub Street” in Siem Reap is often seen as a glimpse of the “real” Cambodia.
The first priority in promoting Cambodia as a destination in its own right is to develop more extensive trips that take advantage of ongoing improvements in roads and infrastructure. A number of 10 to 15 day tours covering much more of the country are in place already and these are proving highly popular. Visitor satisfaction is high, with a general feeling that for a small, compact country, Cambodia has much to offer, as alluded to by the Ministry of Tourism’s slogan, ‘Kingdom of Wonder’. In addition to the world class cultural experience of the temples, and the unique phenomenon of Tonle Sap, there are pristine rainforests, exotic wildlife, remote wildernesses, the mighty Mekong, unrivalled beaches and islands, a wide range of seaside resorts, very varied topography and land use, (not evident to the traveller between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh). Also of significance and interest is the all pervading, historical, cultural, social and political impact of the recent past.
The second opportunity for growth is to develop new Cambodian tourist attractions in an environmentally sustainable way. This includes the mainstream activities in addition to eco-tourism itself. Tours to include Cambodia’s lesser visited provincial centres can be developed easily, and the infrastructure is largely in place. Expansion of tourism into the virgin rainforests of the Cardamoms, or the north-east provinces of Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri, or development of the islands, could soon destroy the very attractions themselves. Fortunately, ecotourism demands a premium that people will pay, and this can fund the development of environmentally sensitive resorts. Once built, the operating costs of low impact facilities are lower than other establishments, and the higher prices help boost long term profitability. Low impact eco tours also help to preserve the uniqueness of Cambodia.
A third component should be the development and promotion of the wider responsible tourism practices. Along with the benefits that tourism undoubtedly brings, the largely unplanned and rapid development of Siem Reap and the coast around Sihanoukville has resulted in many environmental and social issues. These not only affect the local communities but negatively impact tourists’ experiences and so reduce long term profitability. Adopting practices that benefit the poor and disadvantaged in communities around the tourism centres, not only benefits the communities but is a smart marketing and promotional tool with the potential to increase business, extend the length of stay, open up new markets, and encourage repeat business. In comparison with the longer established tourism industry in neighbouring Thailand where people return again and again, few people come back to Cambodia. In the past it has been time consuming and labour intensive to establish and sustain links with local communities, but new initiatives being introduced in Siem Reap are making it easier for businesses to improve their CSR performance. The real challenge is to engage the Asian tour operators in the above processes and develop more sustainable mass tourism activities.
Cambodia is still a welcoming place to do business. The government encourages investment by allowing 100 per cent foreign ownership of businesses, it is easy to arrange long leases on properties, and there are new developments which will open up the possibility of obtaining leasehold title to property, though non-Cambodian nationals cannot own land. Those with the government’s ear should be championing policies that seize the current opportunities for change, and move Cambodian tourism onto a broader and more sustainable footing.
About the author
Michael Horton has been delivering development projects across South East Asia since 1998 and first came to Cambodia in 2006. He lives in Siem Reap where he works on socially and environmentally responsible tourism initiatives. He is a director of AardvarkFieldfare (www.aardvarkfieldfare.com) a UK based joint venture between two environmental services companies, and director and founder of ConCERT (www.concertcambodia.org).
Angkor Palace Resort & Spa One of the leading hotels in Siem Reap, Angkor Palace Resort & Spa is the first Cambodian-owned premier luxury five-star resort accommodation. Its design, décor and furnishing reflect the finest in Cambodian architecture befitting royalties and dignitaries. Angkor Palace Resort & SpaAddress: #555, Phum Kruos, Khum Svay Dangkum
Siem Reap, Kingdom of Cambodia
Tel: 855 63 760 511. Fax: 855 63 760 512
Email: info@angkorpalaceresort.com www.angkorpalaceresort.com
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has launched e-Visa, which enables you to apply for a Cambodia tourist visa online. Instead of applying through Cambodian Embassy, all you need to do is to complete the online application form and pay with your credit card. After receiving your Visa through email, print it out and bring it along when you travel to Cambodia. For those who wish to apply Business Visa, K-Visa or Diplomatic Visa, please contact your nearest Cambodian Embassy for more information. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is unable to accept applications from holders of Diplomatic Passports. Entry Type 
Single entry only Fees USD20 + USD5 (processing charge) Validity 3 months (starting from the date of issue) Length of Stay 30 days (more) Processing Time 3 business days Requirement A passport validity of more than six months balance at time of entry, a recent passport-size photo in digital format (JPEG or PNG format), a valid credit card (Visa/MasterCard/American Express/Discover). Visa Exemption Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam Countries not supported Afghanistan, Algeria, Arab Saudi, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan (Please apply your Visa from your nearest embassy or on-arrival at all major checkpoints) Click here to apply | Pristine tropical islands |
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| Served by a new international airport and easily reached from the coastal hubs of Sihanoukville, Kep and Koh Kong, Cambodia’s unspoilt islands stand poised to be revealed to the world, as leases have been granted to local and international companies who plan to develop resorts. But for now, most of the islands remain unpopulated and untarnished by tourism; offering secluded white sand beaches and stunning tropical scenery. Koh Rong is the largest of Cambodia’s 22 islands and is easily reached by boat from Sihanoukville. The island offers secluded beaches and exclusive diving. At present there is little or no development on the island, but that is about to change as a 99-year lease of Koh Rong has been awarded to the Millenium Group who are seeking investors to develop the island. Koh Tang is located four hours by boat from the mainland and three hours south-west of Koh Rong. The island is uninhabited apart from a small military presence. The waters around Koh Tang offer world-class diving with a stunning diversity of fish, corals and rocky reefs. Nearby Koh Prins has two wrecks to dive. “The remoteness from the mainland makes Koh Tang an exclusive diving trip,” says local diving operator Scuba Nation - www.divecambodia.com. Koh Tang is well known as the site of the infamous Mayagüez incident of 1975 in which the Khmer Rouge captured a US ship. Other unspoilt islands include Koh Russei (Bamboo Island) which can be reached by private boat from Sihanoukville, or from the beach near Ream National Park (about 20km east of Sihanoukville), and Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) off the coast of Kep - long-tail boats go to Koh Tonsay every morning from Kep. |
Ministry of Tourism
The official website for tourism Cambodia, Travel and Tours in Cambodia.
www.mot.gov.kh
CATA - Cambodian Association of Travel Agents
www.catacambodia.com
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