All commercial passenger and cargo flights currently operated at Siem Reap International Airport (Angkor, Cambodia) will be transferred fully and once to the new facility on October 16. The US$1.1 billion airport is located in the villages of Kriel Pong and Provall, in the townships of Por Pel and Ta Yek, and about 40 km east of the city of Siem Reap. The new airport will have 38 gates and will be able to accommodate large passenger aircraft such as the Airbus A340-300 and A350-900 as well as the Boeing B777-200/300 ER and B747-300/400.
Airlines will be transferred to the new airport
All 16 airlines currently operating from the old Siem Reap airport will operate from the new airport when it opens on October 16. Construction began in March 2020 by Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia). Efforts are being made to attract more airlines to the new airport with additional destinations, said Lu Wei, chairman of Angkor International Airport Investment.
Cambodia wants to attract more visitors
Lu Wei was speaking at a seminar organized by the Cambodian Tourism Association (CATA) under the theme “Next Chapter of Cambodian Tourism” in Siem Reap.
Addressing the opening of the event, Lu Wei briefly introduced the facilities of the new airport and the plan to attract more tourists and flights to the Kingdom.
Cambodia’s future tourism prospects were in the spotlight during the seminar which mainly focused on additional destinations along the Mekong
Immersive experiences for tourists
Speaking to the Khmer Times, Craig Dodge, Sales and Marketing Director of Cambodian Circus, noted that tourists are increasingly interested in immersive experiences such as adventure, entertainment and discovery, inspiring them to visit different parts of the world.
“Tourists who come to Cambodia want to engage and experience the uniqueness of the country’s culture, art, gastronomy, as well as the rivers that flow through Cambodia,” said Craig Dodge.
Some international tourists even tend to care about local communities, animal welfare and the environment of the countries they visit.
More online bookings
He added that international travelers are increasingly booking online. The private sector therefore needs to optimize search platforms, including websites, apps and social media. Travelers also prefer to know the cost and quality of their trip rather than going somewhere without proper instructions and guidelines.
Many tourists from China
Ivana Tranchini, Country Director of Visa Cambodia, said cross-border travel has now fully resumed with the reopening of China in January 2023, boosting the tourism sector. According to his research, the volume of acquired cross-border trips has reached 120% while the volume of issued cross-border trips has reached 110% this year compared to the same period last year.
She added that the world is entering an era of contactless booking and shopping and travelers are also looking for better cost, convenience, controls and confidence across all touchpoints. For example, nearly 70% of tourists today use contactless wallets.
