PHNOM PENH, 10 April 2013: Cambodia’s tourism minister, Thong
Khon, admits the nation’s war history continues to reduce its ability
to compete with neighbouring countries in tourism and economic
development.
The minister told the Phnom Penh Post Monday that Cambodia cannot yet
compete in tourism with the rest of the region because of its history.
He was commenting on findings released by the latest World Economic
Forum report on global tourism competitiveness. It was ranked the
lowest of eight ASEAN member countries monitored in the study. Laos
and Myanmar were excluded.
“Our competitors have a lot of infrastructure and had fewer wars to
contend with,” he said, adding that it is difficult to compare the
country to the rest of Southeast Asia..
However,
he claimed the government was making progress. “We are on the way to
developing infrastructure and in the near future Cambodia will attract
far more tourists.”
The Government-Private Sector Working Group on Tourism co-chair, Ho
Vandy, said Cambodia’s tourism sector still needed time, but it was in
good shape.
“Day-by-day we see the development of infrastructure and
entertainment facilities…We are trying to promote the kingdom,
especially to young visitors and ensure they keep returning,” he said.
In January, the country welcomed 404,106 international tourists
increasing 15.37% when compared to 350,257 during the same month in
2012.
According to the World Economic Forum study, Cambodia ranked last in
travel and tourism competitiveness among eight Southeast Asian
countries.
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2013, which excluded
Laos and Myanmar, positioned Cambodia at 106th out of 140 countries this
year, compared to 109th in 2011. It had the lowest ranking in ASEAN
apart from Myanmar and Laos.
Best in travel and tourism in Southeast Asia was Singapore, which
ranked 10th in the world, the report said. Malaysia was next, followed
by Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Thailand ranked 43rd overall, a fall of two places since 2011, due to
natural disasters and political unrest which the country has been
grappling”, the report said.
The Philippines was the most improved country among the Asia-Pacific nations.
While the number of international tourist arrivals in Cambodia is
increasing, the sector is still lacking a regulatory framework, an
effective business environment and infrastructure, as well as human,
cultural and natural resources, the report said.
The report’s data set includes findings from the World Economic
Forum’s annual Executive Opinion Survey and quantitative data from
publicly available sources, international organisations, institutions
and experts.
According to its website, the World Economic Forum is an independent
international organisation committed to improving the state of the world
by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society
to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
It was incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971 and has its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
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