Kratie Sees Surge in Visitors as Tourists Rush Northeast

KhmerTimes/Sum Manet

 

Monday, 25 January 2016

 

Cambodia’s tourism industry is expanding beyond the iconic temples of Siem Reap and its white-sand beaches to the country’s little-explored northeast, with domestic tourists leading the surge, provincial data showed yesterday. 
 

Kratie saw an almost 80 percent increase in tourists last year compared to 2014, according to its provincial tourism department. The province’s capital, Kratie town, is the gateway to the Northeast. Provincial officials say 457,953 tourists visited Kratie last year, compared to 256,504 in 2014. Of these, 433,714 were domestic tourists and 24,239 were from other countries.  
 

Run Pheara, director of the Kratie Tourism Department, said tourists were more plentiful between February and April, and that an annual festival was a major draw. “The strong growth in tourists in 2015 was because the province celebrated the River Festival in March, which drew about 200,000 tourists,” he said. International tourists hailed form about 50 countries, but French nationals were leading the way, he added. 
 

Ratanakkiri drew 179,384 tourists last year, including 22,569 foreign nationals, a rise of 2.42 percent compared to 2014, according to figures from the provincial tourism department. Ngeth Pitou, director of the department, said cultural attractions as well as eco-tourism were the two main draws. “There are many tourism resorts such as Yeak Laom Lake, Virachey National Park, and Ka Chanh, Cha Oung and Ka Tieng waterfalls,” Mr. Pitou said, adding that eco-tourism sites were seeing a rise in business. The province’s goal is to establish Banlung town as a picturesque, clean and safe destination for visitors, he added.
 

Ngin Sovimean, director of Mondoulkiri’s tourism department, said the province had drawn 136,965 tourists last year, compared to 115,214 2014 – an increase of 18.87 percent. These comprised 129,712 domestic visitors and 7,253 foreign nationals, he said.   
 

“The tourists came to visit both cultural and natural sites,” he added, explaining that the most popular destinations include Bou Sral waterfall, Dors Kramam Mountain and ethnic-minority villages. 
 

The province plans to strengthen human resources in the tourism sector this year, cooperate with the private sector to upgrade Bou Sral resort and other sites, and invest more in advertising and promotions of sites in the province, Mr. Sovimean said. 
 

Ho Vandy, advisor to the Chamber Commerce of Cambodia and president of World Express Tours and Travel, recently told Khmer Times that improving cleanliness, expanding eco-businesses and implementing a tourism campaign would draw more foreign tourists next year.
 

“The government and private sector need to cooperate with each other to advertise all tourism sites. Both the public and private sector stand to benefit,” he said.
 

 “However, we will lose our advantage if we don't prepare appropriate tourism packages. We have to increase our activities by creating new tourism sites and improving existing ones to attract more tourists. Hygiene, garbage, and traffic have to be controlled if we are going to be able to attract more tourists,” Mr. Vandy said.
 

Tourism Minister Thong Khon has put the number of foreign tourists visiting Cambodia last year at 4.8 million, compared to 4.5 million in 2014.