CAMBODIA TOURISM AT THE PRESENT AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE

by

Yuthea Em

CONTRACT: Tel +85517241777

Email: emyuthea@yahoo.com/emyuthea@gmail.com

A paper research submitted and presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement of the University of Hertfordshire for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy January 2006
1

ABSTRACT This research text has been written under the study and experiences of Cambodian tourism from the last decade until today. The documents research is mostly base on the UNDP/WTO and Statistics of tourism from the Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia. The most important points are theory should be complying with the practical matters to provide a practical 'framework through which marketing of Cambodia, as a tourist destination, can achieve the targets in the region. The research will outline the current status of Cambodia as a tourist destination and analyzes the current tourism categories that match the tourist attraction of Cambodia. An important analysis of SWOT inside Cambodia and in the region can help us to set up an effective strategy for its development in the future. We also study the SWOT of neighboring countries which their tourist receptions have bigger figures than ours and from this we can understand how to succeed our competitive market in the region. Tourist destinations in Cambodia at the moment are focused on the three main areas: Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Sihanouk Ville. I would like to do the research in details on these main destinations as well as analyze the SWOT and its strategy for the development. Marketing and promotional project should be done more often and more effective in the future with the best cooperation between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the private sectors in these targets. The tourism literature also has been strongly considered to distribute to the world market which is the unique place for tourism communication, exchange information and prices of services. This matter needs the real fund support from the Government and the private sectors. The general research will show the general picture of Cambodian tourism, its strength and weakness, its strong potential in the future at the specific places with the necessary attention to develop these tourist destinations effectively.

1. Introduction The new millennium has come to all nations around the world a millennium of peace and progress, prosperity and full of opportunity for the development, especially the considerable countries which were suffered long term civil war including CambodiaThe golden land and the land of world heritage which was almost forgotten in the last three decades of political turmoil and civil war. In common with other countries in the region, Cambodian country posses the unique cultural and natural assets. The vast ancient temple complex of Angkor and other thousands of ancients temples around the country are of the outstanding significance of the history of Asian Art and civilization. Even though peace come to the country and the Cambodian people are very hospitable still number of tourists and visitors do not meet with the necessary amount which can be considered as a good comparison with the neighboring countries'. Therefore, the study of the profound reasons should be done objectively for the best solution and for the real development in this field. As we know Cambodia has had an important tourism history. The unique treasures of Angkor Wat complex, the culture and ancient civilization of our Khmer people and the general ambience of Cambodia made the country an attractive destination. However, years of conflict gave a bad image of tourism to the world. Today, Cambodia is coming back onto the world tourism stage. The latest figures (2001source: Ministry of Tourism) show that over 346,618 visitors come to Cambodia in the first seven months 'of the year. This number is definitely bigger than the figures of visitors who came to Cambodia in the year of 1990s but it is still a small number if we compare with the number of visitors who come to our neighboring countries. We, therefore, would like to cope with the real situation of Cambodia tourism which is standing alongside with other important elements of economic, to find out the best procedures to develop and marketing tourism in order to bring the increasing benefits to Cambodia's economy and society. Tourism can also help to provide the justification and financial means for achieving conservation of Cambodia's natural environment and historical and cultural heritage. The role of government in tourism development and marketing is unique in that, unlike other export sectors, the sale of tourism products and services firstly depend on the promotion of the destination as desirable places to visit. In many countries, destination marketing to create demand has become overriding determinant of tourism growth. Although the Angkor temple complex is world-wide famous and Cambodia's major current tourism grow, we should look into a broader product base as future integrated product development takes place. However, with facilities currently spread around the country, and where problems of security through the media still provide a negative impact on the international market somehow. Therefore, tourism promotion programs, adequate budgetary support and the will to succeed should be stimulated from government and private sectors, these two decisive factors should work closely together ,
3

stand together on the stage of domestic and international marketing and promotion with the flexible planning and programming based on changing circumstances, but any changes should be made within the frame work of the overall program objectives. 2. Cambodia Tourism at the Present 2.1. Global Trends in Tourism Tourism is important both to Cambodia as a nation and to all individuals connected with this industry it is essential to recognize that it is a global industry influence by trends and market needs from thousands of miles away. International tourism is a free market industry with and increasing proportion of the world's population exploring the global they live on. The improved are links, higher standard of living, the need of relax and exploring as well as the increasing of competition in tour prices have brought a boom in business travel around the world. Travel has come within the reach of income earners in industrialized countries and now within the reach of many in developing countries. Tourism has been influenced by advance in transport technology and as much as by the emergence of new destination, especially the new destinations to the developing countries in Asia. For Cambodia, it is important to recognize that an increasing number of tourists are now taking their vacation time to explore their personal interests and enrich their cultural experience. Regional tourists will be to the high quality services provided in other Southeast Asian destinations. In major markets the tourist has complete personal choice in his selection of destination. Required standard of service including direct contacts such as airlines, hotels, restaurants, tour guides and also indirect contacts such as immigration, security, insurance and information services become critical in the present time. 2.2. Tourism in Cambodia Starting from .1990, the year of peace talking in Cambodia and also the starting print of free market in Cambodia until 1993 we can recognize the exact number of tourists to Cambodia. Below is the Tourist statistics from 1993-1997 (Ministry of Tourism) Tourist arrivals to Cambodia by Month from 1993-1997 Month Jan Fed Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total 93 13,722 11,638 11,877 9,315 5,626 6,677 9,847 9,712 8,998 8,608 8,237 13,926 118,183 94 13,136 14,837 15,143 15,149 12,140 11'740 15,030 14,743 12,931 15,332 18,614 18,082 176,617 Tourist Arrivals 95 96 21'174 15,934 20,748 15,107 23,740 18,527 21,993 17,190 18,392 14,083 17,352 15,114 21,794 18,975 21,586 19,624 18,162 18,029 21'189 19,766 27,475 22,732 26,884 24,599 260,489 219,680
4

97 26,274 27,169 29,138 26,675 21 ,498 19,558 6,515 9,735 9,960 1 I ,883 14,815 15,623 218,843

The incident of fighting between parties in July 1997 has brought a worse impact on tourism development to the country until 1998 with the new open sky policy from the government, tourists standard to come to the country as usual as before and steadily increase numbers from 1999 until today. Owing to the underdeveloped nature of much of Cambodia, the difficulties of access to some areas and the lack of infrastructure the attractions that can currently marketed to the tourist destination regions are Phnom Penh, Siem Rep and the coastal area Sihanouk Ville. However the prime tourist sites in these regions not only include world class attraction but also links into a triangle circuit that provides and effective tour planning PNH-Capital Siem Rep-History Culture

Sihanouk Ville Beaches and Water Ports

A. The City of Phnom Penh The prime gateway even though it is not a major tourist city but it has a variety of attractive including: Silver pagoda National Museum Royal palace Wat Phnom Toul sleng genocide museum Cheung Ek In addition, the city has an appealing riverside and cruising on the Mekong river, many of other buildings, interesting markets as Central market, Toul Tumpung market, a typical Indo-china atmosphere and very friendly people Restaurants and hotels facilities are more than adequate for present demands for this one, Phnom Penh is popular to Tourists. Certain excursions from Phnom Penh to Ou Dong, Tonie Bati and Phnom Chisor can be developed to extend length of stay of tourists. B. The Town and Beaches of Sihanouk Ville Are the important tourist attraction. But until now, few real tourists have visited there and major of visitors are local people. The choice of activities and attractions for intenertives tourists is restricted and the development of tourist oriented services limited. The current facilities cannot compare with the beach resorts of Thailand and Malaysia. Sihanoukville, formerly named Kompong Som, is a municipality located
5

on the coast in southwestern Cambodia. It is bounded on the east by Kampot Province, in the north by Koh Kong Province and on the south and west by the Gulf of Thailand. The province covers an area of 868 square kilometers. Sihanoukville was created as a port between 1956 and 1959, when the recently independent country determined a need for direct port access to the sea. Port activities until that time were focused on the Mekong River in Phnom Penh which is still and important port (with facilities now being rehabilitated) for the country. 2.3. Geographic Background The physical setting, population and urban patterns, economy and government administration of Sihanoukville affect the planning for tourism. A. Physical Setting Sihanoukville has the attractive setting of hills and valleys that extend to a scenic coastline of sandy beaches and rocky outcroppings, with views of offshore islands. Some of the hills are forested and serve important conservation functions as protected watersheds and a national park. However, there has been considerable deforestation in the area during the past 30 years. There are several islands off the coast of Sihanouville, some of which offer the potential for tourism. Koh Pos and Koh Takiev Islands are very near the mainland, Koh Thas is six kilometers offshore and the two Koh Rong Islands are about 18 kilometers from the mainland. There are various small islets situated offshore. With a tropical monsoon climate, the average annual precipitation is 3,800 mm, one of the higher rainfall areas in the country. The rainy season extends from May to October and obviously affects the seasonality of tourism although there are sunny days even during the rainy season. The average annual temperature is about 27.3 degrees C., with fairly even temperatures throughout the year. Average annual humidity is approximately 80%. B. Population and Urban Patterns The municipality is composed of three districts with total population of 121,000. Sihanoukville city with 47,500 populations, Steng Hau with 10,500 inhabitants and Prey Nap with about 63,000 residents. Due to the lack of statistical data, the rate of population growth is difficult to determine although rapid growth is obvious. About 90 % of the population is Khmer and the remainder is Vietnamese, Chinese and Cham. Certain components of the population are transient, with many sailors, seasonal agricultural and port workers and commercial sex workers creating a fluctuating population. The city extends over a large area and sprawls along its main arteries in a linear, low density fashion. The port facilities lie in the north adjacent to the largely man-made harbor. A local fishing village, Steng Hau, is situated in the northern part of this harbor. Outside the port area, three centers can be identified--the administrative centre and palace near to and south of the port, the commercial centre and related residential area, which includes several hotels and restaurants, in a valley to the southeast of the port and the tourism-related area along the beach in the south. The areas between these developed centers are mostly undeveloped. In the south is Ream (Preah Sihanouk) National Park. The Ream Naval Base is located adjacent to the park on the southwest.
6

C. Transportation Facilities Access to and within the Sihanoukville area is essential for developing tourism, especially the relatively large scale tourism that is envisaged for the area. Transportation includes roads, air, sea and rail. D. Road Network National highway 4 is the main road extending for 218 kilometers between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh and carries most of the traffic between the cities including Lorries conveying goods transiting through the Sihanoukville. Rehabilitation of this road with international assistance is almost completed and will be finished in late 1996. Until recently plagued with security problems, the road is now virtually secure. It will serve tourists as well as general traffic between the cities. Proposals for an Indochina-Thailand highway involving Laos using Sihanoukville as its port are long-term goals which would give this road and port even greater importance. There are also road links between Sihanoukville and Koh Kong and Kampot provinces although these roads require improvements in order to be adequate for general and tourism use. Rout 3 connecting to Kampot Province is scheduled by the government for rehabilitation in a few years. Within the city, the existing road network is sufficient to serve Sihanoukville at present and is immediate development needs. The primary roads are sealed and generally adequate for present traffic. However, away from the city centers and for secondary roads within and near the centers, most roads are not sealed or the hard surfacing is greatly deteriorated. Recently, attention has been given to repair of the primary roads forming the main network and the roads giving access to the southern beaches. For future development, much road improvement will be necessary. No system of formal public transport exists and tourists who do not have cars must use taxis and moto-taxis. E. Airport Facilities and Services Kang Keng Airport, 15 kilometers from the city centre, is the only airport in the area. The runway, built {n the 1960s, is in generally good condition. The passenger terminal is, however, only a small open-sided structure and that provides shelter for passengers. The entrance road to the airport is a narrow dirt track. At present Royal Air Caboodle, with handles all domestic air flights, offers four flights a week from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville. Modernization and expansion of the airport is one of the most critical elements of infrastructure to be developed for tourism as we]) as overall economic expansion of the city. Plans have been prepared for replacement of current runway with a 2,500-meter long runway that would handle B 737 aircraft and construction of a modem terminal with facilities of international standard. Over the short-term, present flight schedules need to be made more frequent and reliable. F. Seaport The deep seaport at Sihanoukville is reasonably well developed and handles approximately 43 % of Cambodia's total port tonnage. Currently the facility can accommodate ships with drafts of up to 8.5 meters. At present, it is difficult to expand traffic because of the inadequate depth of the port berthing spaces (sand deposition resulting from deforestation of the surrounding hills is a problem), insufficient docking and warehousing
7

facilities and limited loading equipment. There are plans by the port authority to renovate and expand the port in expectation of future growth, and port improvement is being assisted through the Asian Development Bank's Special Rehabilitation Assistance Project. The port improvement project includes dredging, new breakwater construction, a new wharf, surfacing of a container yard and new navigation equipment. When, in the medium term, the port improvements are competed, a wharf could be available for docking of cruise ships. With the expansion of cruise ship tourism in Southeast Asia that is taking place, there is much potential for ship stopovers in Cambodia if the port facilities are suitable and onshore facilitation of cruise passengers is provided. G. Railway Sihanoukville has one railway connection on the Royal Cambodian Railway service. Built from 1960 to 1969, the 263 kilometers of railway between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh is used by only one train per day, due to lack of maintenance and security problems. In 1993, the railway handled only 1.5 % of the port traffic, with the road network handling the rest. The maximum speed of the trains is 34-4-km/hour. The railway is planned for eventual rehabilitation, starting with improvements of the rolling stock. If rehabilitated, the railway could handle some tourist traffic with rail excursions being developed as an interesting tourist's experience. Tourist on historic railways is popular in several places in the world. If some historic train coaches are available and could be restored, such a rail excursion could possibly be developed between Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. More importantly, improved rail service could handle much more of the cargo traffic between the city. H. Other Infrastructure As is the situation throughout Cambodia, infrastructure in Sihanoukville is limited and in a state of disrepair as a result of neglect during the last 25 years. However, rehabilitation of the infrastructure is underway or planned. Improvement of infrastructure is crucial for the progress of all types of development including tourism. 2.4. Tourism Resources in SihanoukVille The basic resources for tourism in as area are the various types of existing and potential attraction features and related activities. Holiday tourists can only be induced to visit an area if there are attraction features and activities that are of interest to them. Business travel1ers will also visit attractions and may prolong their stay if the attraction is particularly interesting. Closely related to these basic resources are tourist facilities and services. Tourist attractions, facilities and services are reviewed in this chapter. They are examined with respect to serving both international and domestic tourists. A. Tourist Attraction Features The existing and potential attraction features of the Sihanoukville area are reviewed in the following sections, and recommendations are made for conservation and development of the attractions where appropriate. An
8

important principle of developing tourism is that a variety of attractions clustered in one area wi11 attract more tourists and induce them to stay longer because here are more places to visit and activities to engage in. Therefore, all possible types of attractions of potential importance should be identified and developed. B. Beaches and marine areas The major type of attraction in the Sihanoukville area is the extensive white sandy beaches along the mainland coast and on the offshore islands. Complementing the beaches are marine areas reputed to be excellent for diving to view sea gardens of colorful coral formations. and fish. These beaches and marine areas offer the already well recognized opportunity for major development of beach and marine resort tourism. On the offshore islands, especially the two Koh Rang Islands, the excellent beaches are located in bays providing calm, protected waters and are gently shelving into the bays. These characteristics make them ideal for families with children and non-swimmers. The Koh Rong Islands are also very scenic with forested hills that are very suitable for hiking and exploring. The offshore waters have abundant fish which can provide the basis for sport fishing, although the number of large game fish typically associated with sport game fishing is apparently limited. Some of the beaches on the mainland are rather narrow and could be widened by removing some of the shrub type vegetation along the beach. Care will need to be taken to ensure that the waters off the mainland do not become polluted from port and industrial activities in the northern part of the city, or from untreated sewage out falls. Control of forestry activities must be undertaken to reduce the danger of sedimentation in the offshore waters. The Koh Rong Islands will need to be protected from deforestation to preserve their scenic beauty and water clarity. Of great concern is that some logging operations have already taken place on one of the Koh Rongs. Logging must be strictly prohibited on these islands if they are to be used for tourism. Koh Pos (Naga) Island near the mainland has much tourism potential and must be environmentally protected. C. Ream National Park and Other Natural Features One of Cambodia's seven national parks, Ream National Park lies in the south part of the Sihanoukville area. This scenic hilly park occupies about 15,000 hectares of lowland evergreen forest. Some fauna species have disappeared from the park but other important animals remain including samba deer, barking deer, wild boar, mouse deer, pangolin, two species of otters and at least two species of monkeys. Fishing cats and leopards have been reported. Notable birds in the areas include green peafowl, great hornbills and sarus canes. Fresh water crocodiles live in the park. Three species of marine turtles, two species of marine dolphins and the endangered dugong live in the adjacent waters. Twelve-meter long whales are reported to visit the coastal waters at three-year intervals. Ream National Park is accessible from the coast road, and a small park entrance facility and some trails have been developed. Conservation of the park environment and wildlife essential, and the park will require further development of visitor facilities including interpretation. Knowledgeable guides should be provided to take tourists into the park.
9

Ream Park will offer tourists a nature experience and be complementary to the beach and marine activities. Near to but outside the Sihanoukville area is Phnom Boor National Park and further north is Kirirom (recently renamed Preah Soramriddh Koh Somak) National Park which can be reached on day excursions from Sihanoukville. Also, Kep National Park is located on the coast to the east of Sihanoukvile which could be a day excursion when the coastal road is improved. Kbal Chay Waterfalls can be the destination of a day trip when security is assured in that area. Figure 3 shows the location of national parks and other protected areas in Cambodia including those in and near Sihanoukville. Within the Sihanoukville area are scenic areas that can be visited by tourists. Some high points could be developed as scenic lookout points that tourists can visit for an overview of the area. There is the opportunity to visit nearby picturesque fishing villages including the Steng Hau village where colorful flags adorn the fishing boats. D. Other Attractions Minor attraction features include two pagodas in the city which, although not architecturally interesting, have ornate interiors and statues. The Krom Pagoda site offers excellent views of the area. Victory Monument can be viewed on sight-seeing tours. The central market provides insight into local products for sale and the ambience of bustling market activities. Cultural facilities are currently limited in Sihanoukville. There is the potential to develop a cultural center that would offer performance facilities, craft shops, art galleries, municipal museum and related facilities. 2.5. Regional Profile for Siem Reap The Siem Reap Province covers an area of 10,879 square kilometers and has a population of 550,000. The area of concern in this strategy is more coincident with the study area of ZE.MP, based on the expanse of archaeological sites, covering about 5,000 square kilometers. This includes Siem Reap town, the archaeological sites, Phnom Kulen Mountains, and the northern part of Tonie Sap Lake which forms a potentially integrated tourism development area. Figures 1 show the location of Siem Reap province in Cambodia, about 300 kilometers by road north of Phnom Penh, and the places referred to above. A. The Environmental Setting The Siem Reap area occupies the northern slops of the Tonie Sap drainage basin, which is comprised of limestone beds overlain by later sandstone deposits that form the Phnom Kulen plateau. Sandstone from quarries in the Kulen provided the major material used for the Angkor structures. The alluvium in the area is the source for laetrile used as the predominant structural base of the monuments. The basic drainage pattern consists of a series of radiating streams which rise in hills to the north and cast of Angkor and now to the lake. The major drainage feature is the Pouk River which becomes the Siem Reap River that goes through Siem Reap town and supplemented the irrigation systems of Angkor in the 10th century.
10

The Siem Reap River is one of the important and attractive landscape features of the town. The second most important stream in the region is Roluos which at the foot of the Kulen Mountains and flows into the marshes around Tonic Sap Lake near the near the village of Roluos. These two rivers and many of the streams in the area have been modified and channeled to control the now of water for irrigating the agricultural land to the south. The water level of Tonie Sap Lake greatly fluctuates, due to the influence of the Mekong River system with which it is connected by the Tonie Sap River in Phnom Penh. During the rainy season, the water level of the Mekong rises above the level of the lake land overflows into the Tonie Sap River which reverses its flow conveying the Mekong water into the lake. During this season, the lake rises 7-8 meters, more than trebling the size of the water surface from 300,000 to 1200,000 square kilometers and extending the lakeshore a considerable distance. Tonie Sap Lake is one of the most productive fresh water fisheries in the world, and provides a significant amount of the fish consumed in Cambodia. Fish harvests have exceeded 100,000 tons annually for several decades. The lake is now experiencing considerable salutation, resulting from deforestation of its watershed, making navigation more difficult during the dry season. Over fishing of the lake is also reported to be taking place. A major study of the lake environment is planned to be undertaken with UNDP assistance. The climate of the Siem Reap area is determined by the tropical monsoon system influenced by local topography. Rainfall averages about 1,500 mm annually with the rainy season extending from May to October. Temperatures vary only slightly from a high of 28.5 degrees C. In April to a low of 24.0 degrees C. In December. The dry season from November to April experiences some rainfall because of the effect of the Kulen Mountains. The seasonality of rainfall greatly affects tourism, with most tourists visiting the area during the dry season period, with few tourists during the rainy season. The Siem Reap area contains several types of Cambodias low altitude vegetation. The northern portion generally features dense evergreen, semi-evergreen and other types of forests. The freshwater flooded forests of Cambodia and those of Tonie Sap Lake in particular, represent one of the most extensive examples of this forests type in the world. One of the interesting environmental aspects of the Angkor monuments is the forest growth around many of the structures. The Kulen Mountains and northeast have sub-humid and sub-dry forest types dominated by semi-deciduous and deciduous vegetation. There has been extensive rice cultivation in the area for centuries, and this provided the agricultural basis for development of Angkor. Since the 1930s both Sweden (slash and burn) and rice cultivation have expanded
11

into the secondary forest areas of the plain. By 1975, much of the Siem Reap plain had been converted to rice production and slash and burn agriculture, and experienced intense timber extraction resulting in substantial forest encroachment. Many of these areas have not regenerated well and are now subject to heavy pressure for fuel wood collection. Bamboo, vines and small diameter poles are also harvested in large amounts to provide materials for the hundreds of kilometers of fencing required for construction of fish traps on Tonie Sap Lake. Wildlife is relatively abundant in the Siem Reap area. The literature indicates that about 100 mammal species and 200-400 bird species living in the area, and at least 50 fish species in the lake. Regionally and globally significant populations of rare and endangered species are supported including 17 mammals (mostly large game), 24 birds (primarily water birds), two reptiles and two fish species. The Tonie Sap and flooded forest have the highest wildlife value. Elephants were used for work and ceremony from early times. Relieves on some of the Angkor monuments show close relationships with wildlife and fish of the Tonie Sap. The are several threats to the lake and flooded forest area. Increased siltation that can result in high animal mortality in dry years: reduced annual migration from the Mekong River to the lake; hydraulic mining effluent from the Pailin district; and convers10n from forest to agriculture of the surrounding land. In addition to degradation of wildlife habitats, hunting and trapping animals and birds is widespread throughout the forested areas. Many species are sold in the markets for food, medicine and decoration. Shallow-water wet season rice cultivation has continued to be the principal agricultural activity in the area, with some continued use of dikes and reservoirs that have been maintained and rehabilitated from the ancient systems. Water management today is considered to be uncoordinated and wasteful, resulting in low efficiency. The Khmer water control structures in the Kulen Mountain have deteriorated completely while the ancient Barays (reservoirs) have all been abandoned, except for the West Baray which was restored in the 20th century. The irrigation works undertaken by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s were not well engineered or constructed. B. Transportation Currently, tourist access to Siem Reap is mostly by air from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap Airport. Highway Route 6 provides land access from Phnom Penh but this road is not now in good condition and the journey is long and arduous. Boat access is available from Phnom Penh to Tonie Sap River and Lake but facilities are limited and only the hardiest of travellers use this route.
12

Air access is provided by Royal Air Cambodge (RAC), the national carrier. RAC offers seven flights daily on ATR72 aircraft. Usage of access ser\;ices are highly variable, with both peak passenger demand on a daily basis and annual seasonal fluctuations. Problems are encountered by tour operators and passengers in confirmation of reservations and reliability of flight schedules. As air access is currently the monopoly of Royal Air Caboodle, great pressure is placed on the airline to service this highly specialized demand. This requires much effort to manage the services by both the airline management and tour operators. Improvement of the airline's reservations system, incentive fares to encourage offpeak travel and permitting alternative services ( other local airlines ) would alleviate some the present bottlenecks. Also marketing techniques could be applied to reduce the demand fluctuations. There has been pressure from operators, especially Thailand-based airlines and tour operators to provide for direct air services between Bangkok and Siem Reap. Direct access would be popular with operators and some tourists as it would relieve current bottlenecks. Also, present plans for development at Siem Reap will provide a large stock of accommodation that implies additional access capacity. However, the policy firmly stated in the National Tourism Development Plan is that no direct access from outside Cambodia to Siem Reap be approved (even if it as not already precluded under present agreements). Direct access to Siem Reap would result m many tourists only visiting Angkor to the detriment of developing other tourism areas in the county, especially tourism in Phnom Penh. This would lead to an overall decrease in the average length of stay in Cambodia and fewer economic benefits accruing to the country, and with the benefits being received mostly in Siem Reap. Direct flights to Siem Reap would further emphasize the perception of Cambodia as a single attraction destination and reduce opportunities to encourage tourists to lengthen their visit and explore other parts of the country. A1so, some direct tours to Siem Reap might be organized to arrive in the morning, tour Angkor during the day, and depart in the evening, thus not staying overnight and generating very few benefits to Siem Reap or the country. A more effective approach would be better management of the Phnom Penh/Siem Reap air service during the short, medium and long term as described above. The airport at Siem Reap, situated seven kilometers from the tow, is relatively modern but scheduled for improvements of the runway and terminal. Over the long-term period, the airport is planned to be relocated further away from the Angkor monuments to ensure that aircraft vibrations and movements do not result in any damage to the monuments of disturbance to visitors at the monuments. Also, improvement of road and river links during the medium and
13

long-term should be pursued. Improvement of Route 6 would provide a good road connection between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, and create the opportunity for development of tourist facilities at Kompong Thorn and elsewhere along this route. This road is currently being upgraded and improvements are programmed to be continued along its entire length between the cities. When improved, road travel time should be about five hours. Route 6 extends to Sisophon and the Thai border and, when improved as is currently planned, can eventually provide road access to Siem Reap from Thailand, linking the Thai historical places of Phimai and Phanom Rung with Angkor. However, security must be guaranteed in the Sisophon area before improvements can be commenced. Boat services from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap on Tonle Sap River and Lake have recently been improved with the use of a high-speed boat, and the trip now takes about ten hours. However, low water levels during the dry season are a deterrent to using this access on a year-round basis. There is a small port at Phnom Krom at the north end of the lake, 13 kilometers from Siem Reap, but landing facilities will need to be improved for tourist use. The access road from the port and town is currently being upgraded and further improvements are planned. Boat access could be a popular option with tourists because of the ambience of a boat trip with and village stopovers along the way. Road of boat access to Siem Reap could be adopted on one leg of the trip with the other leg taken by air, providing an overall interesting experience for tourists. Road access exists to all major places within the Siem Reap region but improvements are needed to many of the local roads. The access road from the airport to the town is in relatively good condition but uncontrolled development along the road will result in traffic flow problems. At present, Route 6 goes through the town. Traffic on this road increases. C. Telecommunications Cambodia including Siem Reap has an antiquated telephone system and one of the lowest rates of telephones per population in the world. Numerous commercial companies have set up their own competing systems but are not always compatible with one another, and are expensive by international standards. Siem Reap currently utilizes the system installed UNTAC (United Transitional Authority of Cambodia), which works only sporadically due to variance in electricity, and a cellular system operated by CAMTL ( Ministry of Communications and Indonesian INDOSAT company joint venture) will lay fiber optic lines underground to serve the current UNTAC system. Approximately 700 additional lines will be available for hotels and other businesses, enabling them to make international ca11s. Public telephone boxes are also planned to be installed. Based on this project, telephone service should be greatly improved in the
14

area. D. Postal Services The post office in Siem Reap handles mail including for tourists. As part of the postal service 1996-2000 five year improvement programme, post boxes at hotels and other strategic places are planned. Presently, mail is sent to Phnom Penh once a week and delivery to the province is once weekly. This schedule v.-ill obviously need to be made more frequent to serve tourism. International mail service from Cambodia is becoming more reliable although delivery time is rather slow. E. Education and Training for Tourism Because of inadequate facilities and underpaid teachers, as well as children being required to help support their families, the general level of education in the province is low. Adult literacy rates are low and many children, especia11y those living in the Angkor area, are also illiterate. The absence of basic education makes it difficult to train persons to work in tourism at the semi-ski1Jed and ski11ed levels. Human resource development constitutes one of the major issues facing hoteliers in the area. At present, productivity levels in the hotels and restaurants are low and the staff/room rations must be high to compensate for the low productivity. This results in low wages being paid to the staff. This problem must be recognized and the hotels and restaurant need to make the effort to properly train their staff, if quality tourism is to be developed. Demand for qualified hotel staff will become acute as tourism expands in the near future. Education and training of persons to work in tourism must emphasize language training including English, French, Chinese and Japanese. The non-governmental organization o f Ecole Francaise d'ExtremeOrient operates a vocational school in Siem Reap town. This school teaches mechanical and electrical skills, as well as silk farming and stone and wood carving. These are skills that will be useful in developing tourism. Also, there is an International Labor Organization training school and a Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugee Centre which offer some technical training. The French Cultural Centre organizes French language classes. F. Public Safety and Security Siem Reap, in the recent past, has been faced .with many security related problems. However, from late 1995, security in the Angkor/Siem Reap area seems to be well maintained and no incidents have been reported. There are more than 500 police personnel permanently assigned around the Angkor complex to ensure the safety of tourists, and many more stationed elsewhere in the Stem Reap province. These personnel are now mostly concerned with ensuring the safety of tourists from accidents as they clamber over the ruins and controlling any vandalism of the
15

monuments. However, there are potential security problems elsewhere m the province and tourists are not allowed to rent cars or motorcycles, in case they will travel to security problem areas. 2.6. Developing Tourism Resources in Siem Reap The basic resources for tourism in and area are the various types of existing and potential attraction features and related activities. Holiday tourists can only be induced to visit an area if there are attraction features and activities that are of interest to them. Business travellers will also visit attractions and may prolong their stay if the attractions are particularly interesting. Closely related to these basic resources are tourist facilities and services. Tourist attractions, facilities and services are reviewed in this chapter. They are examined with respect to serving both international and domestic tourists. A. Tourist Attractions and Activities The major attraction of the Siem Reap area is of course the Angkor monuments and other archaeological sites. There are also other features which can be developed to broaden the tourist's experience and increase their length of stay. Some of the attraction features in the Siem Reap area have been designated as protected areas by the government. Phnom Kulen is designated as a National Park, Angkor is a Protected Landscape and the Tonie Sap area is a Multiple Use Management Area. B. The Heritage of Angkor The archaeological heritage of the Angkor period of Khmer history comprises one of the most important historic sites and architectural achievements in Asia and the world generally. The famous temples of Angkor were mainly built between the 9th and 13 centuries and abandoned in the middle of the 15th century. During this period the Khmer civilization was at the height of its creativity and ruled a vast territory extending from the tip of what is now Vietnam northward to southern Laos and westward through Thailand to Burma. The Angkor complex of temples represents the remains of the capital and religious centre (Angkor means the capital) of the Khmer Empire because they are built of stone and brick. Palaces, houses and public buildings were constructed of wood and long since decayed. Having been constructed over several centuries, various different styles and Hindu and Buddhist religious beliefs are represented at Angkor. The entire historical development covers approximately 5,000 square kilometers of which the capital city complex occupies about 300 square kilometers. A total of 1,000 archaeological features, including preAngkor sites, were identified by the ZE.MP survey from existing records and new studies, using aerial photography, satellite imagery, and ground and heli9copter field surveys. Of the 900 Khmer features that were recorded in the survey, some 300 are temples and another 300 could indicate the sites of temple structures. The complex includes not only the buildings but moats, Barays (reservoirs), canals and irrigation works. The largest Barays now called the east and west Barays can be visited by tourists. As mentioned previously, the West Bray extending over an areas
16

of 2.2 by 8 kilometers has been partially restored and currently being used to store water for irrigation. The hydraulic engineering involved is as equally impressive as the building architecture. Construction of the monuments, Barays and irrigation works obviously required highly centralized organization of large populations in labor-intensive work. The most visually striking and visited temples are Angkor Wat, Bayon and Ta Prohm. Also popular are Banteay Srey, and Preah Khan and Bakong in the Roluos group. Several other temples are impressive in their own way and visited by tourists. The touring circuits at Angkor are the 27kilometer Petit Circuit and 46-kilometer Grand Circuit. These were laid out over 60 years ago when less was known about the site and they do not represent the historically correct or visually most rewarding approach to the temples. It is well recognized that improvements are greatly needed to the interpretation and presentation of Angkor. A visitor centre should be developed to provide information material, exhibits, sales of crafts and books in Aangkor and other facilities. This centre is being planned for development by APSARA. A site museum could be developed either as part of the visitor centre or as a separate project. Interpretive signs, in an attractive and uniform design, are required at the various sites. The road network connecting the monuments needs improvement and perhaps some realignment. Parking at the major sites should be improved. Guide services are currently available but the knowledge of many guides could be enhanced. All aspects of Angkor, including the Barays and irrigation works and the historical and cultural context of the Angkor civilization, should be presented to tourists so that they understand the background of the monuments. Sales of crafts and souvenirs at the sites require better management and hawking must be controlled. As referred to previously, the residents in the Angkor monuments area are very low income which leads to hawking of many of these people including children as a source of income. Alternative employment should be organized for residents including being trained to work effectively in the park and tourism enterprises. A sound and light show has been proposed at Angkor Wat, and this can help interpret the monument in an interesting manner. The show will provide an evening activity that is now lacking in the area and induce tourists to stay longer at the site. Assurance has been given that installation of the show will be carried out so that there is no damage to the monument. APSARA should be involved in determination of the best approach to develop the sound and light show. Fees will, of course, be charged to attend the show which can provide additional revenue. A performance of the Ramayana was organized at Angkor Wat in 1995 and was considered to be very successful. This type of performance should be organized on a regular basis each year of more often as an important attraction for local and foreign visitors and an expression of and important aspect of Cambodian and Asian cultural heritage. It would be interesting to reintroduce local animals, of the type that previously lived there, into the Angkor environment. Elephants, monkeys and deer particularly would be appropriate.
17

Entry fees are charged to foreigners visiting Angkor at the rate of US$20 for one day, $40 for two-three days and $60 for four-seven days. Entry charges on tourism vehicles at currently $2 per taxi, $5 per mini-bus and $10 per large bus. Cambodian nationals are admitted at a nominal fee. In addition, payments are made for use of Ministry of Tourism tour guides. These entry fees are not out of line with entry fees paid at major archaeological sites elsewhere in the world, especially when site interpretation is improved at Angkor. In 1995, total revenue was estimated at almost US$1.3 million. Entry to the monuments is not greatly controlled, and it is known that some visitors gained entrance without paying any fees. As more tourists visit the monuments in the future, the revenue from fees will greatly increase. The fees now go to the government general fund, and are not used to improve Angkor. Much work on conservation and interpretation is needed at Angkor and the fees can be an important source of revenue for this purpose. It is important that all or a major proportion of the fees be used to assist with the conservation and interpretation at Angkor. In addition to providing the revenue needed for conservation activities, tourists will be more willing to pay the fees if they know it is being used conservation an interpretation. Although Angkor has many monuments and is spread over a wide area some of the temples are particularly popular and visited by virtually all tourists. As the number of visitors increases in the future, the carrying capacities of some of the monuments may be reached or exceeded based on present patterns of use. It will be important to carefully organize and control visitor flows and use in order to prevent damage to the sites, prevent overcrowding and maintain a high level of visitor satisfaction. Also, at certain points of intensive use, such as steep and narrow stairways, means must be applied to reduce congestion and possible damage to the monuments, as well as injury to tourists. These potential problems are already being considered in planning for visitor use of the monuments and solutions are being sought. C. Other Attraction Features in the Area The Angkor monuments comprise the major attraction and, as emphasized previously, all aspects of the Angkor period should be included in the interpretation and tours of Angkor so that tourists gain full exposure to the monuments. This approach will involve visits to different areas of the monuments including the Rolous and Banta Srey groups of temples, the West Baray where one can swim and go boating to a small island and visit the ruins of West Baboon temple, and relic irrigation works. In addition, other features in the area can be further developed to enrich the visitor experience, increase tourists length of stay and spread the benefits of tourism more widely in the area. These are explained in the following sections. a. Phnom Krom HillLaying 13 kilometers to the south of Siem Reap town, this hill commands superb views over the Tonie Sap Lake and its port and floating villages. At the top of the hill is a 9th century temple of some interest. A road leads up the slope to the hill top Wat Athvea can also be included on this trip.
18

b. Phnom Kulen National ParkThis Park is not now accessible because of the poor state of the road and safety problems, but is a potentially important natural feature for tourists in the future. The major features of the park are the waterfalls and generally scenic environment, complemented by forest vegetation and wildlife. c. Tonie Sap and floating villagesthe floating villages located in the northern part of the Tonie Sap Lake are highly interesting to visit by boat. Stops could be made at one or two of the structures to observe fish farming and other activities. Complementing the villages is the unusual character of the lake itself with its rich fish and bird life and local fishing techniques. The road to the port on Tonie Sap is being improved, although access to the floating villages is most easily accomplished during the rainy season. This tour can include the nearby Phnom Krom Hill as a stopover. d. Town toursSiem Reap is a basically attractive town complemented by the river environment and large trees. In the old town centre are architecturally interesting historic colonial buildings with traditional buildings in the peripheral areas. Specific interesting buildings include the palace and the Grand Hotel, now being renovated. The new central market will be of interest to tourists. A half-day tour can be organized based on the interesting features of the town. Also, self-guided walking tours could be promoted with production of a walking tour map and guide. The compact character of central Siem Reap is conducive to walking. e. Crocodile farmalready existing in Siem Reap, the crocodile farm is open to tourists. Besides crocodiles, the farm has exhibits of monkeys, birds and deer. It could be improved with better interpretation techniques. f. Village toursthe villages are in the Stem Reap are? Are still traditional and offer insight into life in rural Cambodia. Tour can be orgam.zed to selected villages with stops at the villages to observe the local life styles, architecture and agricultural techniques. It is important that village stops be pre-arranged and suitable payments be made to the villages to allow tourist visits. This revenue can be used by the villagers to finance community projects such as infrastructure, school and medical clinic improvements. g. Provincial museuma provincial museum could be developed m Stem Reap that presents the history, culture and environment of the area. This would be in addition to any site museum developed at Angkor. h. Crafts as previously mentioned, Siem Reap has a tradition of silver work, silk textile weaving and basket making, but only a few people still know these artisan skills. Crafts can be of much interest to tourists and an important source of income for residents, including the villagers. Expansion of crafts should be encouraged as tourism
19

develops. The new market in Siem Reap town can include a crafts section and a handicraft centre already is developed a few kilometers out of the town. i. Sports and recreation there are no sports facilities available to tourists in Siem Reap. However, discussion is underway for development of the former Olympic Stadium on the road to Angkor as a sports club similar to the International Youth Club in Phnom Penh. This will primarily serve residents including resident foreigners but can be open to tourists. The new hotels planned for the area are expected to include swimming pools, tennis courts and other recreation facilities. Some of the larger existing hotels could also develop swimming pools. There has been discussion about developing a cultural centre in Siem Reap town, and this should be pursued. One of the aims of the provincial governments Five-Year plan for Investment for 1996-2000 is to improve the parks, sports and cultural facilities in the area. j. Evening entertainment Evening entertainment for tourists is presently limited in Siem Reap, except for going to restaurants. There are some night clubs but these cater mostly to a local clientele. One of the hotels now offers a traditional Khmer dance and music show. As mentioned, a sound and light show is proposed for Angkor Wat. A cultural centre may also be developed. It is expected that the new hotels planned for development will include provision for evening entertainment. The YTL proposal for an integrated tourism development includes a cultural centre. There may also be other types of attractions that can be developed in the area as tourism expands. D. Tourist Facilities and Services Tourist facilities and services include hotels and other types of accommodation restaurants, tour and travel operations, conference and meeting facilities, tourist information services and others. These are examined for Siem Reap in the following sections. E. Hotels and guest houses As of March, 1996, the ministry of Tourism listed 25 hotels and guest houses with a total of 697 rooms in Stem Reap. Eighteen of these hotels had 30 rooms or less sex had 31 to 70 rooms and one had 83 rooms. This list includes the Grand Hotel of 62 rooms which is now closed for restoration and expansion. In addition are some guests houses not included on this list. Many of the hotels are of the budget category and none are more than three star level. Room rates range from US$1o to $80 for a double room. The standard of hotel is slowly improving with the recently opened hotels of higher standard than older ones. Hotel occupancy rates greatly fluctuate because of the seasonality of tourism in Siem Reap, ranging from being nearly full during November and December to 25%20

300/o occupancy during the low season. Service standards and productivity levels of hotel staff could be improved. With a few exceptions, the existing hotels exhibit nondescript architectural styles that do not particularly reflect their location in Cambodia but could be anywhere in Asia. One exception is Angkor Village which incorporates the vernacular style, use of wood construction and much landscaping that creates the ambience and charm of a traditional Cambodian village. Another exception is the Grand Hotel built in the 1920s in the French colonial style with e>.1ensive formal gardens. As mentioned above, the Grand is being restored and expanded by Raflles International. When completed and opened in 1997, the Grand will be the premier hotel of Siem Reap and set a quality standard for other new hotels. Some of the new hotels have been located along the road between Siem Reap and the airport. This is not a suitable location because of the distance from the monuments and creating a linear airport road land use pattern that leads to traffic congestion and unattractive entrance to Siem Reap. Because of the absence of adopted standards and enforcement procedures, it is currently difficult to ensure that minimum hotel and restaurant standards will be met. Several new hotels are proposed for Siem Reap but it is uncertain to what extent these will actually be developed. As is explained in the development strategy in Chapter 6, much new good quality accommodation will be need in Siem Reap and this is be provided in specific areas according to the plan for the area. The size of hotel in Siem Reap town will be limited to 60 rooms per hotel and no new hotel development will be allowed along the airport road. F. Restaurants There are about 15 independent restaurants in addition to about ten restaurants in hotels. The independent restaurants tend to be small to medium size with an average of about 13 tables. The hotel restaurants are typically somewhat larger. Many of the restaurants do a brisk trade at lunch time handling tour groups as well as local clientele. The quality of food is satisfactory but not exceptional. Service is friendly but efficiency could be improved. G. Tour Operations Tour operations are handled by agencies based in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. The provincial tourism office provides tour guides on a fee payment basis when needed. The Ministry of Tourism has emphasized training of tour guides and here is now a surplus of guides available based on present demand. This leads to undue competition among the guides, reduction of fees below acceptable income levels, and the guides taking tourists only to restaurants and shops that pay commissions to the guides. As expands however, there will be need for the larger number of guides.
21

The challenge is to maintain a balance between supply of, and demand for guides. Training of some guides needs to be. Improved with more in-depth knowledge about Angkor and the Siem Reap area, guiding methodology and language capabilities. H. Other facilities and services Tourist information services are currently provided by the provincial tourism office. This office has suitable building in a good location to satisfy current needs. The staff is adequate but information material to provide tourists is very limited. No exhibits have been set u and no literature is available for sale to tourists. Conference and n1eeting facilities are currently very limited in the Siem Reap area. The area would be a suitable venue for scn1inars, meetings and small to medium size conferences because of the quiet environment, planned future development of good quality hotels and Angkor as an n1ajor attraction feature to be visited. Future development should include n1eeting and conference facilities. As has been referred to previously, medical facilities and services for tourists require in1provetnent, including a first aid unit being set up at Angkor. The new large hotel that is proposed will undoubtedly provide their own doctors or share a medical clinic. However, tourists using sn1aller hotels will need to rely on local medical facilities and services or use the services of the large hotels. Money exchange services are provided by the larger hotels and local banks. As is the case for all of Cambodia, the use of credit cards is very limited, and tourism enterprises should be encouraged to take the major international credit cards. Convenience shopping items sought by tourists are available in the larger hotel shops and local stores. As has been recommended, craft shopping can be expanded. Postal services are expected to be improved as tourism develops, as has been described previously.

3. Strategy Development of Cambodia Tourism

3. 1. Over View of Main Tourist Markets to Cambodia The importance of individual markets is measured not by the size of their outgoing traffic statistics (which may relate more to the size and wealth of the population), but to their interest in destinations with similar attractions to, or that are competitors of, Cambodia, ease of access, and the number of operators that already feature Cambodia or comparable destinations. Leisure tourism which depends principally on personal disposable income, also depends on their local "feel good" factor. the consumer's perception of the future that influences personal expenditure. This can be influenced by local inflation, local political changes, fears of unemployment, even the weather, or indeed any area that influences confidence or apprehension. Japan may have an unemployment rate of only 3.4% against the UKs 8.0% but this is the highest in Japan's history against the UK's level, which is well down from its worst. In general terms, the indigenous regional markets are less likely to look on
22

Cambodia as a cultural destination. Although they recognize the cultural significance of Cambodia. They are attracted, just as importantly, by opportunities for shopping, different recreational activities, and curiosity about a destination that was not accessible for some time. The expatriate regional market does take the opportunity to explore the cultural highlights of Cambodia and the market pattern in regional markets shows Cambodia being preferred as a single destination for a short trip. Most long-haul leisure markets see Cambodia as a serious cultural and historical destination, but invariably combine the Country with a neighbor. This may be Vietnam, or Laos, in a combination of two or three countries. Tours that include Thailand invariably look on Cambodia as an add-on excursion from Bangkok. Many Europeans will take regular long-haul holidays (sometimes more than once a year). While to Americans a long-haul holiday is a more exceptional experience. 1. China Current (Jan-July 2001) incoming statistics show that China provides the largest number of visitors 18,982. 8,980 classified as Business visitors and 10,002, classified as tourists. The numbers of tourists obtaining tourist visas is not indicative of the number of visitors who may be classed as leisure tourists. In identifying the profile of the Chinese visitor, it is parent that there is a significant Chinese community in Cambodia (and confirmed by the populated of the Chinese New Year celebrations), and therefore a substantial percentage of this tourist figure would be visiting friends and relatives . In addition there are some Chinese who use Cambodia as a transit point when leaving for a third country, or remain in Cambodia, and this also distorts the figures. However, local incoming tour operators inform us that there is still substantial recreational traffic, that is typically combined with business. Carriers and agents confirm that the majority of Chinese visitors to Cambodia come from the major cities of Southern China, with access through Hong Kong, HCMC and Bangkok. Research in Siem Reap confirmed that few Chinese tourists visit the temples, and it must be assumed that much of this traffic remains in Phnom Penh or other main towns. Information from tour operators has confirmed that low cost accommodation is preferred and that the average spends per tourist is low. In common with traffic from Taiwan and certain other regional markets, proportion of this traffic is attracted by the recreational opportunities and massage parlors of Phnom Penh. As a tourist generating market, China has the greatest long-term potential. Economic and social reforms have transformed the nation, and GNP has seen significant growth in recent years, even though inflation is rising, Although Government-funded overseas sightseeing trips are now a thing of the past, the level of 3,000,000 outbound tourists has remained, and risen, as discretionary funding has taken over. The new rich in China can afford to take overseas holidays. China is still a relatively immature outgoing market, and requires substantial encouragement, as well as specialized targeting to encourage higher quality tourism. Growth rates can be expected to be high with rates of approximately 20% possible. We noted that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is to open an office in Shanghai, as their research shows this to be one of the principal sources of Chinese travelers with widespread business interests and disposable income for personal trips.
23

Outgoing tour operators are controlled by the National Tourism Administration of China (CNTA) who has licensed approximately 285 agents (1994) which are spread amongst about 10 companies plus some local organizations. While most Chinese still stay within Asia, it is cities such as Hong Kong (which has a seven day visa-free facility) and Singapore (72 hour visa free) which are particularly popular. Chinese tourists are particularly attracted to modern city based activities, although culture and beach attractions are included in their programming. 2. Taiwan Chinese Taipei is the second largest source market for visitors to Cambodia. The Island of Taiwan has a population of 22 million. The total number in Cambodia in the seven months of 2001 is 14,050 people this also includes significant VFR traffic and a rising number of business visitors (5,689). In contrast to mainland Chinese there have been few restrictions on foreign travel, and the concept of tourism is not new. Most Taiwanese can consider a foreign visit, and many companies still sponsor employee tours. This has lead to the development of many men-only tours to regional destinations. This leisure market is substantially attracted by entertainment facilities that may also include gambling, night clubs and recreational facilities, but can be high spending in certain areas. Research in Siem Reap confirmed that few Taiwanese tourists visit the temples, and those that do make only short visits to Angkor Wat. There is a substantial sector of the hospitality and travel industries in Phnom Penh which have specialized in providing services for both the markets from the People Republic of China and Taiwan. Taiwan supports a mature travel industry, with specialist and general tour operators, as well as a sophisticated travel media. The preferred access route is via Hong Kong or Bangkok. Current political uncertainty has created difficulties in Taiwan which has led to short-term economic uncertainty, and many destinations have seen a downturn in tourism arrivals. However, those countries with direct air access to Taipei have been able to sustain substantial business. 3. Japan Japan is a major tourist exporter with about 12million outbound tourists annually, and provides Cambodia with its largest leisure tourist market. In Jan-July 2001, 10,765 tourist visas were issued to Japanese visitors, most of them arriving in tour groups. Although the Japanese travel year round a great deal of leisure travel is undertaken around their public holidays. The Japanese market is one of the most mature in Asia. And now has growing independent travel and special interest markets. Many Japanese take more than one holiday a year, and increasingly include both a long-haul and short-haul destination. However, fashion often influences their choice of destination. Currently the Mekong Basin is considered a fashionable destination, and so there is a growing number of Japanese Tour Operators featuring Cambodia as a hort-haul single destination trip. Although the current profile of the Japanese tourists influenced by the fashion trends, as well as a market in employee incentive tours. Cambodia is considered both a cultural and religious destination, and Angkor Wat is well known, because its history is taught to school children, and many newspapers and magazines provide general interest coverage. The majority
24

of programmes from Japan are short ( 6/7 days) and transit in Vietnam or Hong Kong as well as Phnom Penh before making an average 2/3 night visit to Siem Reap. Cambodia would be considered as a more general holiday destination if product development included more resorts, and featured recreational activities, sports or golf facilities. There is a specific market in Japan with an interest in South-East Asia as the site of many war graves. Many families return to Myanmar and Thailand specifically to visit graves of relatives buried there. The existence of such cemeteries in Cambodia was not confirmed, but if they exist this market could be significant in the future. Currently Japan is experiencing economic problems, with increasing unemployment and the rising Dollar, and in January Japan Travel Bureau (JTB) announced an average price rise of its tour programmes of 3.4%, the first significant price increase in 5 years. However, this is expected to have minimal long-term effect on the growth of Japanese foreign travel. A new service by Air Vietnam to Osaka emphasizes the importance of markets outside Tokyo. Several Cambodia based tour operators have associate offices in Japan. 4. France France has significant social and trade ties with Cambodia, and there is a large Cambodian expatriate community, often now with French passports. France is the largest European source market (19,437 total1995) and its consumers are well aware of the attractions of the Country. Of all European markets, this is the one with the most opportunities for the tourist to arrange a trip to Cambodia. Over 40 tour operators feature Cambodia, and there is a variety of cultural associations who organize group tours to the region, although many use the operational service of French tour operators. Access is uncomplicated with over 25 airlines offering services to regional hubs such as Bangkok and HCMC. Although the variety of tours offered in France is broader than in many markets the majority are multi-destination regional tours, or add-on options to tours to other regional destinations. According to French local sources (SNAV) 13,000 French tourists visited Cambodia in 1994, compared to 38,000 who visited Vietnam and 120,000 who visited Thailand. Natural growth can be expected in the French market because of the internal promotion of Cambodia and the general opening up of the region. However, additional growth would be generated by improved product development, and a generated in the variety of tour options offered. Certain Cambodian tour operators have representatives in France. 5. USA/Canada North America also has an important Cambodian community, so there are many returning Cambodians travelling on US passports. The South-East Asia region is appreciated by both older Americans and younger budget tourists. 29,412 arrivals were recorded from the USA in Jan-July 2001, of which over 80% were indicated as tourists. The average American tourist to Cambodia is a serious culture-attracted tourist. Many of the tour groups are connected to cultural or historical societies, and developed by specialist tour operators. The average American tourist considers a trip to the East Asia region as a special tour, which will be planned some time in
25

advance, and will include several countries. It is important to recognize that the profi1e of this cultural tourism will often be older, sometimes retired or semiretired, but particularly well-informed about the attractions they will want to see. One of the primary source markets is the state of California, with its affluent and well-travelled population, although special interest groups can be source in many major cities. There is a range of access gateways from the West Coast of the USA, although the most preferred are through Hong Kong and Singapore. 6. Malaysia Malaysia is a significant regional source market for Cambodia, and in JanJuly 2001, 10,148 arrivals were recorded. There is said to be more foreign investment coming from Malaysia than from any other country, and this has created strong business links. Of the 1995 total number of visitors 3,825 were indicated as business arrivals. It is estimated that there are 600 Malaysians living in Cambodia, and a large Cambodian population in Malaysia. This creates opportunities for both business and visiting friends and relatives traffic. Malaysian Airlines have commercial links with Royal Air Cambodge, jointly providing daily 100 minute flights between the two capitals. In addition, MAS has world-wide connections as far away as Southern Africa, Europe and the USA. Some long-haul tour programmes use MAS, and programme a twin-centre stay in Malaysia (usually on the return flight from Cambodia) MAS also report a significant VFR market from their foreign stations to Cambodia. Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur in particular, has a dynamic consumer market generating extensive regional leisure traffic. Weekend traffic from KL to HCMC and Phnom Penh is buoyant, and is attracted by the restaurants and nightlife of Phnom Penh. The casinos in Phnom Penh also attract part of the significant Chinese population of Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines include Cambod1a m both its international tour programme and city breaks (short-stay holidays) programme that is sold through all its on-line and off-line stations. 7. Thailand Thailand is a major source market for Cambodia for two significant reasons. Firstly, there is substantial business traffic between the two countries (10,674 arrivals in Jan-July 2001), as well as the best air access and a large consumer market (both Thai and expatriate). Secondly, Thailand is the most important international tourist destination in the sub region in terms of numbers of tourists. Many of the destination management companies based in Bangkok, and serving international markets, control regional programmes and have a great deal of influence on a foreign tour operators choice of regional destinations. The airport survey of December 1995 (Appendix D) confirmed Bangkok's gateway status as the primary hub in the region with over 50% of all passenger transits interviewed. Travel agents in Thailand offer a variety of tours to Cambodia for domestic tourists with prices ranging from US$250 to US$500 for a two night (3 day) trip to Angkor. Both Thai International and RAC provide services between Bangkok and Phnom Penh, and Thai's Royal Orchid Tour Programme is popular in many source markets. Several Cambodia tour operators have corporate offices in Thailand. Thailand is experiencing, as a major international tourist destination,
26

significant growth in lower income tourists. This has been brought about by an oversupply of hotel accommodation which has created significant price cutting, as we11 as a highly competitive air service (including charters) which has also resulted in discounted air fares. Together these have attracted low-spend tourists to the detriment of Thailands international image. Which is reflected in a drop in traffic from traditional high-value markets. Both The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Thai local tour operators would like to develop better quality tourism, even if this means establishing joint programmes with destinations outside of Thailand, such as Cambodia, to create regional tours that attract more serious tourists. In the future, both road access and sea routes from Thailand will be important to Cambodia. Although there is current pressure to open direct air routes from Bangkok to Siem Reap, this should be resisted (see Access Report).however, future road routes will link the cultural attractions of northern Thailand to Angkor. 8. Singapore Singapore has a booming economy and a growing consume population (including a major expatriate community). With regular access by air, and a flight of only two hours, the Island is well placed to provide an important short-haul market. 1995 figures show 9,155 total arrivals. The Singapore domestic market is remarkably affluent and looking for new destinations within the region. However, they only have limited interest in Cambodia as a cultural destination, and will be influenced more by good facilities, opportunities for good-value shopping, and a rage of recreational activities that are different from other destinations currently attracting them. Singapore is also a major regional gateway for both American traffic. These markets attracted by the excellent facilities of Singapore and the quality of its national carrier, then move on to other destinations in the region. In addition, Singapore has been promoting itself successfully as a tourist destination to long-haul market. While popular as an immaculate city destination with excellent shopping, it lacks any significant historic or strong cultural attractions to act as a foil to its rather antiseptic image. Opportunities exist to increase business traffic from this area, as well as short break tourism to the resident population. Other opportunities exist to cooperate with Singapore in the development of twin-centre programmes in certain market and increase the market appeal of both destinations. Silk Air and RAC provide regular services between Phnom Penh and Singapore. 9.Vietnam Vietnam is a regional destination similar to Cambodia, in that it is emerging from a long period of insecurity and a poor international. However, Vietnam has managed to re-establish itself as a tourist destination in certain markets more rapidly the was expected. Part of this is due to the mutually concerted efforts that the Vietnamese authoritys _and the commercial tourism industry have undertaken, and the ability of their major airports to take wide-bodied jets. Vietnam is seeking to attract similar markets to Cambodia, but currently offers a much broader range of tours. Reports from long haul markets suggest that over-expansion in the marketplace before the infrastructure and services are up to international standards
27

has led to considerable customer dissatisfaction. However, Vietnam is considered the second most important linking destination (after Thailand) in the region for tours that feature extensions to Cambodia. The airport survey of December 1995 confirms HCMC as the transit point for between 20-22% of the visitor sampling. Therefore, the ground handlers in Vietnam could have influence on traffic to Cambodia. Vietnam has a significant population based in Cambodia and there is a Cambodian community in Vietnam. Although this does produce visiting friends and relatives, it is often of a quality and spend that will have little significance in our tourism traffic. At the present time there is only a small discretionary market based in Vietnam, primarily consisting of NGO and diplomatic personnel. 10. Australia Australia is an important outer regional market with total outgoing traffic estimated at about 2.45 million people in 1995, an increase of 5% over the previous year (source: asmal). Holiday traffic was recorded as 47% of all overseas departures, and Cambodia registered 6,634 total arrivals. Current number from JanJuly 2001 is 7,744 arrivals. Most markets are concentrated in the main cities, such as Sydney or Melbourne, and Cambodia is still considered a special destination. Travel to Asia increased by 13% in the past year, with China and Vietnam showing the most growth in Australian arrivals (source: small). Regional resort destinations such as Thailand and Malaysia are popular, but Cambodia is offered primarily as an add-on to regional by general, specialist and adventure tour operators. There is a significant Cambodian community in Australian and a special interest and previous contacts because of the Vietnam War. Many younger Australians tour East Asia as backpackers, often coming back at a later stage as mature tourists. Australia has a range of specialist and general tour operators, with approximately 20 operators featuring, or tailor-making, Cambodia. These tours follow the general pattern of other long-haul destinations. At least one Cambodian tour operator has a representative office in Australia. The preferred gateways for Australian visitors are Singapore and Bangkok. 11. United Kingdom Cambodia is not well known in the UK markets (providing 11,218 arrivals in Jan-July 2001). The South East Asia region (particularly Thailand and Malaysia) is the most popular long-haul destination region for many major tour operators. In I994 over 250 00 British visited Thailand. The British are particularly interested m historical and cultural destinations, and there are more specialist operators for niche markets than in any other European country. In addition there is a growing adventure holiday market which is ideal for Cambodia. At the present time over 60 UK tour operators feature Thailand and just under 60 features Malaysia. Cambodia is featured in programmes by some of these as an add-on tour, while others will tailor-make tours to requests. Access to Cambodia is preferred through Bangkok or Singapore, and strong interest in Southern China makes a combination with this area particularly marketable.

28

12. Germany Germany, and the German-speaking countries of Europe, is the fastest growing European market for Cambodia (currently providing over 4,018 visitors) and other countries in the Mekong Basin. Although the region was not well known, there growing interest, an increasing range of tour options, and a desire to add something on to the popular interest in Thailand ( 1994 arrivals there were over 350,000 ). Germany has traditionally been a country where a high proportion of the population travels abroad. They have high disposable income and high expectations. In spite of economic difficulties, the current strength of the Dutch mark ensures that Germans can afford to visit most destinations. In 1995 over 50% of Germans took a holiday, and the majority went outside Germany (source: B.A.T.FreizeilForschungsinstitut). There is a substantial and well-organized longhaul travel market, and all destinations in the world are offered by German travel agents. Although Germans view South-East Asia primarily as a beach and recreation destination, there is a growing market of serious culture tourists who are interested in combining adventure tours with cultural attractions such as Angkor Wat. The travel trade in Germany is highly sophisticated, and highly regulated, influenced by international trends and working with a highly influential media. The quality of the tourism product, including attraction, accommodation and services is particularly important in the German markets. Thailand has a high profile in Germany, and Bangkok is the preferred access point to the region. Certain tourists, including budget tourists will also use the Vietnam Airways service from Berlin to Hanoi. 13. Other Markets A. South korea South Korea has a significant outbound tourist market including both leisure and business travelers. Until recently Koreans were precluded from travelling to Cambodia, but this situation has now changed. Although it is a market similar to Taiwan, there are also significant differences. In the Koran markets there is more interest in historical and cultural attractions, although entertainment and city based activities are important. Koreans are welltravelled to other destinations in the region, and the strong economic base of the Country should ensure that his continues. Air links are available between Seoul and Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. B. The Indian Sub-continent The countries of the Indian sub-continent, and in particularly India, have an owing influent middle class who are increasingly taking holidays outside the region. While Cambia does not have a high profile in the Indian markets, the religious and cultural connections with Angkor Wat are established and of interest to serous tourists. Unfortunately, Thailand and South-East Asia have gamed a reputation for sex tourism in the fairly conservative Indian markets. Medium-term opportunities exist to develop special interest tours from the major cities of India.
29

C. Other European Countries Many of the European states have buoyant outgoing tourist markets, and sophisticated travel industries who are looking for new destinations. Except in the principal countries already examinedFrance, Germany and the United Kingdomany contact will be primarily with specialist tour operators who already feature the region and have a track record in cultural tours. Access from European countries to the main hubs in the region is easy with a wide range of airlines providing services. 3.2. Competitive Analysis 3.2.1. Product Comparison Although Cambodia is currently offered as an extension of tours to neighboring countries, and will remain an integral part and equal partner in regional development, it is essential to analyses the strength and weaknesses of competing regional destinations in order to assist in the development of Cambodia's marketing plans and to identify marketing opportunities and obstacles as they arise it is also important to analyses how Cambodia is promoted by the tourism industry, compared with our competitors. 3.2.2. Thailand Strengths South-East Asia's No 1 tourist destination Strong international image Wide range of hotel and resort accommodation Wide range of tourist attractions and activities Major airport hub and strong airline marketing Political stability Wide ranging existing markets Weaknesses Overcrowded destinations Perceived declining standards Price discounting Pollution of major destinations such as Bangkok and Pattaya Traffic problems in Bangkok Recent attacks on tourists Widespread publicity of sexually transmitted diseases Bad publicity concerning drug trafficking

3.2.3. Malaysia Strengths Improved range of attraction and facilities High standard of cultural attractions Strong economy High-quality international image Good international airline connections Weaknesses International publicity over corruption Anti-tourist threats from Islamic fundamentalists Some intra-cultural tensions Uneven development

30

3.2.4.Vietnam Strengths Opening up of new destination International curiosity Wide range of tours Improved access to core markets Broad range of markets from Australia to Europe Unique blend of cultures Increasing number of international hotel operators and ground handlers 3.2.5. Laos Strengths New destination and international curiosity Strong cultural product Wat Phou......older than Angkor Wat Small range of tours that include road, river and air transfers Weaknesses Poor infrastructure and rudimentary facilities Most tours combined with neighboring countries Highly seasonal tourist arrival Mainly regional markets Low-level service standards Poor access services 3.2.6. Myanmar Strengths Opening up of new destination International curiosity Weaknesses Very basic infrastructure and service particularly away from Yangon Customer disillusionment with facilities, and with the Visit Myanmar Inadequate access facilities Poor international image with both undesirable political and drug-related reputation Highly seasonal tourist arrivals No visa on arrival facility Weaknesses Poor infrastructure High level of disillusionment from returning tourists Unskilled tourism industry Poor internal air services Poor internal air services Accommodation and services in provincial Vietnam still basic No visa on arrival facility

High-quality cultural attractions at Pagna, Mandalay and Yangon Floating villages on Lake Inle

Orient-Express Cruise on Irrawaddy World War II connections

31

3.3. SWOT Assessment Assessment of the strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) is a commonly used technique to analyze development potential and approaches of an area. We will do it properly on each specific area as following: 4.3.1. SWOT in Phnom Penh Strengths Good facilities of Hotels and Restaurants Good facilities of transportation and telecommunication, other infrastructure of water supply, electric power. Extensive of new construction of international airport which can accept more big aircrafts from overseas. The center of business and investment in Cambodia. Cultural center and center of training human resources of tourism _ Weaknesses Poor waste management , bad road condition inside of city Few sightseeing places which are not enough for long stayed tourists Lack of entertainment places Commercial sex tourism possibly spreading in the city. Opportunities Infrastructure and public services can be improved through investment. Possibilities for providing more attractions and activities for tourists. Good potential tourist markets exist for area, Asia, Europe. Product development and promotional campaign can be arranged properly. Threats The means of transportation and cruise along Tonie Sap River will not guarantee the safety of tourists. Security cannot allow tourists to enjoy nightlife of Cambodia. Sex tourism is not in the serious control. 3.3.2. SWOT in Siem Reap Strengths Unique and world famous Angkor historical and Architectural monuments designated by UNESCO as World Heritage site. Famous group of temples in Angkor Thorn area interesting and scenic surrounding landscapes of Tonle Sap Lake and Kulen Mountains ... Accessible on short and frequent scheduled air flights from Phnom Penh and other countries (Direct flight from Bangkok, Saigon, Singapore ...) Protection of Angkor monuments underway and establishment of a tourism development zone agreed and supported by the government. Adequate amount and some variety of accommodation and high quality hotels available. Weaknesses Highly seasonal nature of international tourist arrivals due to climate seasonality. Serious deficiencies in infrastructure of roads, water supply, electric power, waste management.
32

 Lack of high quality tour guides. The airport has no international standard limited big aircraft can land down is Boeing 737 only. Conservation and interpretation of monuments requires much improvement. Opportunities Possibilities for providing more attractions and activities for tourists. Airport more improved and interesting road and water access can be provided in the future. Plan for conservation and interpretation have been made. Better hotel are constructed and operated. Good potential tourist markets exist for area, in Asia, Europe... Human resources can be improved through educational and training programs Product development and marketing strategies can reduce the seasonality factor. Threats The shortage of tour guides will not response to the demands of tourists Security problem of the area will affect marketing matter. Sex tour is not seriously control the disease of HIV is spreading 3.3.3. SWOT in Sihanouk Ville Strength Extensive mostly undeveloped white sandy beaches on the mainland and offshore. Islands, combined with a warm tropical climate. Good marine areas for diving and fishing. General scenic beauty of the city environmental setting and particularly scenic offshore islands. A national park in the area and several national parks and natural features within a one-day excursion from the city, and se other attraction features. Relative proximity and good road access to Phnom Penh. Generally good port facilities which are planned to be further improved, and potential for developing cruise ship tourism. Weaknesses Poor existing airport facilities and very limited air access. Poor quality of other infrastructure of water supply, electric power, waste management and telecommunications. Very limited beach resort development and existing facilities are not of international standard and generally poor quality of tourist facilities elsewhere in the area. Poor human resource base for working in tourism. Monsoon rains detract from year-round tourism. Weak image of Sihanouk Ville as a beach and marine resort destination. Opportunities Infrastructure and public services can be improved through investment. Good quality beach resort facilities can be developed through investment. Air access can be improved with expansion of the airport.
33

 Human resource base can be improved through education and training. General tourist facility standards can be improved through application of regulation. Effective marketing can overcome weak image of area. The provincial office can be strengthened. The urban master plan for Sihanouk Ville provides a guided for logical development. Threats Adequate investment may not be made in improvements to air access and infrastructure. Adequate investment may not be made in development of good quality beach and marine resorts, and other good quality tourist facilities and services. Adequate investment may not be made in conserving protected areas and developing visitor facilities in them. Deforestation may be allowed to continue and water pollution allowed to take place, thus degrading the environment. Accidental oil spills from shipping operations may result in temporary water and beach pollution. Commercial sex tourism and spread of HIV/AIDS will not be controlled. Regulations may not be adopted to improve standards of tourist facilities and services. The human resource base for tourism will not be improved. Security in and near the area may not be maintained. Competition from other well developed beach resort areas in Southeast Asia. If the strengths are capitalized on, the opportunities taken advantage of, the weaknesses overcome and the threats averted the Sihanouk Ville area can become one of the premier beach resort destination in Southeast Asia. 3.4. Strategies for the development 3.4.1. Domestic Tourism Strategy Domestic tourism has little current relevance to the average Cambodian Citizen because of inadequate transport infrastructure; tourists have few opportunities to visit other part of the country. Obviously, national and religious festivals provide motivation for a visit to a national or religious center, but have little impact on commercial enterprises. However, in long term planning domestic tourism must be considered. It provides significant benefits for Cambodia. It develops a greater awareness of Cambodia among the population as well as encouraging the national pride. It increases the economic impact of tourism to more remote areas. It supports the development of facilities that can be used by both tourists and the local community, and pave the way for international tourism to follow.

34

The strategic actions required within Cambodia and in the main market areas are summarized as follows: A. Phnom Penh- National level Action: Improve information and transportation services. Identify main tour products offered by Phnom Penh Tour operators. Improve relationship between ministry of Tourism and private tourism sectors. Improve information and promotional materials. Develop international travel trade contacts Identify major customers in source markets Coordinate regional and domestic tourism Develop special events marketing B. Sihanouk Ville The tourism development strategy has been formulated within the framework of the urban master plan for Sihanouk Ville so that tourism is integrated into overall development of the area. The national strategy relative to the area is that Sthanoukvt.lle will be developed as a major destination in the country, offering beach resort tourism to complement urban tourism in Phnom Penh and historic/cultural tourism in Siem Reap. These three places form the tourism triangle of the country for development during the short and medium term period. At the same time, smallerscale tourism will be developed elsewhere. During the longer-term as the tourist markets are developed, other places such as the northwestern coastal and inland area can develop larger-scale tourism. The tourism development strategy for the Sihanouk Ville area is set forth in the following statements: I. Development of Tourist Facilities and Services Beach resorts should be developed adjacent to good quality beaches near the city centre, along the beaches extending southeast of the city centre and along the beach southeast of the naval base near Ream National Park. Beach resorts should be of high international standard, medium density, low rise and incorporate a wide range of recreational facilities and generous landscaping features. Selected beach should, however, be retained as public beach parks for general public use. Koh Pos (Naga) Island can be developed as a high quality casino resort, as has been proposed, but no other casinos should be allowed to develop in the area. The two Koh Rong Islands should be developed with low density, rustic but good quality beach resorts catering to tourists who wish tranquil ad very natural resort environment. Tourism development on the islands can include marine diving and fishing facilities, hiking trails and visits, on controlled bases, to local villages. Hotel serving business travelers and others can remain and
35

be expanded in the city centre area. Where needed, existing hotels should be upgraded. Renovation and expansion of the government-owned Hotel independence should proceed in the near future, but this should be the only high-rise hotel allowed in the area. Also government owned the Sokha Hotel occupies an excellent beach-front property and should be renovated or it may be more cost-effective to replace it with a new resort. The small government-owned. Victory Hotel could be renovated as a good quality guest house type of facility. One of the larger beach re ort hotels should be encouraged to develop a good quality conference centre m order to develop conference tourism in the area other hotels should include meeting facilities in their development. Cruise ship stops at Sihanouk Ville should be encouraged when docking and related facilities are improved. Shore excursions will need to be organized for cruise ship passengers. A wider range of good quality independent restaurants should be encouraged as tourism expands. An integrated tourist information centre should be provided by the municipal tourism office in the city centre that includes an information counter, materials, exhibits and sale of books and maps on the Sihanouk Ville area and Cambodia generally. A branch information centre could be set up in the beach Area. II. Improvement to Tourist Attractions and Activities Ream National Park should have strict conservation measures applied and be further developed with visitor facilities including an interpretive centre and walking trails. A camping site should eventually be developed in or near the park for use by domestic youth tourists. Tours of Ream National Park should be encouraged to provide a diverse touristic experience. A championship 18-hole golf course should be developed as a major attraction feature for domestic and international tourists. A marina and yacht club should be developed for use by both tourists and residents. Boats can be available for rent and local boat owners can keep their boats in the marina. Emphasis should be given organization of marine-related activities including boating, diving, fishing and a variety of water sports. A multi-purpose cultural centre should be developed to serve the entire municipality. This centre will include a performance theatre, crafts centre, art gallery, small museum focused on the Sihanouk Ville area, and other facilities.
36

 Operations on the islands should be absolutely prohibited,

and reforestation undertaken of presently logged areas.

Other natural and scenic areas in Sihanouk Ville should be

protected, developed with hiking trails, picnic sites and scenic viewpoints. Half day city tours should be organized to provide an overview of the city features. The central market environment should be improved for the benefit of tourist stops as well as use by residents. Day excursions should be organized to nearby attraction features including Kep, Phnom Bokor and Kirirom National Park, Kbal Chay Waterfalls and Steung Hau, fishing village. Day tours should be organized to the offshore islands, especially the Koh Rong Island, for swimming, diving and picnicking, in addition to development of resorts on those islands. More evening entertainment should be developed to provide activities for tourists during the evening hours. Organized sex tourism should be discouraged because of the undesirable image it gives the area and the problem of spreading IDV/AIDS, and drug trafficking should be prohibited. C. Siem Reap The tourism development strategy for the area is outlined in the following statements. I. Access to and within the Siem Reap area The airport should be improved according to the present plan. Air reservation services and flight reliability should be improved. Eventually the airport can be relocated as has been proposed. Highway 6 should be improved according to the present programme and road access for some tourists to use between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap will be encouraged. Boat access on the Tonie Sap for some tourists to use between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap should be improved and promoted. Highway 6 should be realigned to bypass the town centre in order to reduce the amount of traffic in the town. Road improvements in the Siem Reap/Angkor area should be implemented according to the APSARA plan. II. Improvement of tourist attractions and activities Conservation of the monuments should be continued, and visitor flows at the monuments should be organized and controlled to avoid congestion and possible damage to the monuments. Reforestation in the monuments area should out as recommended in the APSARA plan. Consideration should
37

be given to re-introducing interesting wildlife into the park. Interpretation of the Angkor monuments should be improved through development of a visitor centre with exhibits, on-site information signs in a uniform style, information material, good guide services, perhaps a sound and light show, traditional cultural performances at the monuments and other means. Public safety must be maintained at the monuments particularly to ensure that accidents are minimized of tourists climbing on and otherwise exploring the structures. Town tours of Siem Reap should be organized as half-day tours. Self guided walking tours can be encouraged through providing guide maps for walking tours. Tours should be organized to the floating villages on Tonie Sap Lake, with stops along the way. Road condition should be improved. Village tours in the Siem Reap area should be organized with pre-arranged village stops made to observe village life agricultural activities. Payments should be made to the village where stops are made, with these payments used for improving community facilities, services and infrastructure. Further development of crafts should be encouraged and a crafts section established in the new central market in the town. The handicraft centre outside the town should be maintained. Phnom Kulen National Park should be promoted to tourists as soon as possible, and tours organized to the park. More evening activities should be organized for tourists including cultural performances. III. Development of tourist facilities and services Major future tourism development of hotels and activities and services will be located in the tourism development zone. This zone is located outside the boundary of the archaeological park, The hotels, restaurants and other tourist facilities in Siem Reap town will continue providing a variety of types and price ranges but must meet minimum standards of sanitation and comfort and be encouraged to be upgraded where appropriate. Tourist information services should be improved. The present tourism office is an adequate facility and well located but more information material should be available. A visitor centre is already planned to be developed for Angkor and this should be pursued. Medical facilities and services should be improved for
38

tourists including organizing first aid services at Angkor. Fire services should be improved for tourism development, as well as general development. IV. Reducing seasonality Encouragement should be given to offering lower promotional air fares and hotel room rates and special package tours during the low season for international tourists. Offering of special rates and tours for Cambodian residents during the low season should be encouraged. Special events scheduled during the low season should be organized. Consideration should be given to reducing the entry fees to Angkor for all tourists during the low season. Conference and meetings should be organized during the low season along with reduced hotel rates for persons attending conferences and meeting during this period. Special marketing programmes can be carried out to attract tourists during low season based on the inducements recommended above. V. Town and infrastructure improvements The environmental quality of Siem Reap town must be maintained and improved through enhancement of the river environment and control of land use alongside the river, more planting of trees, shrubs and flowers, preservation of public spaces, and control of pollution and littering . Emphasis should be placed on maintaining a clean and attractive urban environment. Preservation and restoration of historic building and their conversion to modern functions should be required in the town centre, and the overall character of the town centre preserved. New building in Siem Reap should be attractively and suitably designed to enhance the urban environment. Expansion of the town should take place according. The western area to the south of the West Baray is to be reserved for agriculture because of the better soils and irrigation works there.3.4.2 International Actions A. Develop information centres in main core markets Ensure distribution of information material and marketing collateral Establish communications links with prime core markets Assist in development of new tours for core markets Increase cooperation with international airlines Improve planning of activities at seminars and trade fairs Encourage cooperative promotions Encourage regional cooperation
39

B. Trade Fairs Attendance at trade fairs will play an important role in marketing Cambodia as a tourist destination. In the absence of permanent marketing overseas, they provide the opportunity for the Government and the private sector to: Meet potential buyers and consumers in source markets Present Cambodia as an attractive tourist destination Provide information on Cambodia direct to the source markets Promote new attractions and develop new programmes Evaluation competition, both regional and international Cary out market research in source markets Expose Cambodia to international competition Trade fairs can only be cost effective if the buyers are coming from markets that have a proven interest in Cambodia or the region, and have adequate air or road links with the Country. Cambodia should also only participate if its core attractions are of interest to those source markets. And Cambodia should only participate if the budget required is likely to be returned in new sales and increased tourist arrivals. The essence of success for any trade fair is timely and adequate planning. A decision to attend should not be made until after appropriate research into the market potential, and discussions with the private sector several months in advance. This ensures that participation by the commercial sector, planning of activities and confirmation of budget, is prepared in time .The source markets have to be informed of Cambodias presence well in advance, as attendance without adequate preparation is less effective and wasteful. The primary international trade fairs that should be considered by Cambodia as part of its marketing plans include the following: PATA Travel Market (ASIA) ASEAN Tourism Forum Japan International Travel Show SMT France ITB Berlin, Germany WTM, London UK Australia Travel Show, Sydney MATTA International Travel Fair, Kuala Lumpur C. Advertising and Public Relations Advertising and Public Relations are the activities most liable to be misinterpreted and poorly applied. Advertising a product or a destination to the customer, and motivating the consumer to choose Cambodia. However, this is only one approach, and many options are available and should be considered. In the absence of a major budget, destination advertising provides little return. To create market image through advertising requires sustained high profile advertising, an approach open only to major tourist destinations with large promotion budgets.
40

4. Conclusion The research text has highlighted the present situation of Cambodia Tourism as well as the analyses on SWOT of each specific tourist destinations in Cambodia, the importance of access services to the development of a sustainable tourism sector and has identified the need to improve both international and internal tourist markets. The report also expresses the very important role the Royal government of Cambodia in the budgeting for the development tourism and the practical cooperation with the private tourism sectors. It also identified a number of obstacles that are restricting tourism development. International influences play a major role in developing effective services and improvement to Cambodia tourism. So, the promotional matter should be strongly considered by both sides. The research emphasize on the competitive analysis for the considered objectives which we should seriously solved the problems of our Cambodia tourism for achieve our targets in the regions. The product price also play a very important role in the market places which other overseas tour operators can defeat the local tour operators of the country. We also need to research the main markets to Cambodia for improve our facilities to response properly to the demands of tourists and also find out the new products for keeping the old markets and attract the new markets the poor image of Cambodia can only be changed by consistent marketing , improved security , enhanced services and worldwide publicity. Cambodia name and image as a tourist destination will be spread around the world, so that many more projects will be attracted. Strategies for the development of Cambodia tourism should be highly concerned and discussed for future practice in all cooperative factors of tourism industry to stimulate the real development of Cambodia tourism. The relationship between tourism marketing and investment promotion is an important linkage. As Cambodia as a tourist destination, it highlights the best attractions of the country, within the secure destination for the world's tourists. That image also attracts the attention of potentials investors to Cambodia. 5. Recommendation The short recommendation .have been made for both short and long term development that will require the real fund-support from the Royal government of Cambodia. Please kindly acknowledge that Cambodia really has a great potential economic from the tourism industry in the region. Especially the best cooperation in actions from both public and private sector organizations. Many of the infrastructure development will not only encourage international and domestic development, but also will provide better services for all Cambodian people and assist in economic development throughout the country.

41

REFERENCES

1. Tourism development and management ( draft report, July 19996) Ministry of Tourism, Kingdom of Cambodia UNDP, World Tourism Organization 2. Access review ( final report , July 1996 ) Tourism development and management UNDP I WTO project ,1996 ) Ministry of tourism 3. Physical planning concepts ( final report 4. Tourism development strategy for Sihanouk Ville ( 1996) 5. Tourism statistical report in July 2001 Ministry of tourism

42