Until now, Cambodia’s aviation industry in the area has relied on the 70-year-old Phnom Penh International Airport. The hub welcomed some 4.75 million passengers over the course of 2024 and was thereby Cambodia’s second-largest airport after the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport, which opened in 2023. Even with the opening of the new Techo airport, the old Phnom Penh International Airport will, however, be maintained and kept available for military use or emergencies.

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Bright future

The new Techo International Airport, a joint venture between the Cambodian government and the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corp, should hugely increase the capacity of its predecessor. Boasting three runways, the airport should be able to handle 13 million annual passengers in the first phase. However, in the future, that capacity should be able to increase to 30 million after 2030 and up to 50 million by 2050.

“Aviation serves as one of the most important means of connecting tourists, businesses, political missions, and multifaceted cooperation, while also being a crucial driver of economic growth. It plays a central role in attracting investment, fostering diplomatic relations, and advancing Cambodia’s long-term development goals. With this vision, Cambodia has actively invested in and expanded the development of this international-standard airport to meet the growing demands of travel and connectivity, and to strengthen the country’s position as a gateway in the region”, Techo International Airport wrote in a statement.

The inauguration of the airport was marked by the arrival of its first two commercial flights. An Air Cambodia flight from China and a Singapore Airlines flight were the first to use the airport and were welcomed by a Water Salute, a Chhai Yam cultural performance, and the presentation of special souvenirs.

The new Tech International Airport has a price tag of $2 billion (instead of the $1.5 billion initially budgeted) and was designed by UK-based Foster+Partners, who were also in charge of London’s Millennium Bridge and the Apple Park in Cupertino. The buildings were inspired by Cambodia’s rich culture and nature, with the central hall being reminiscent of a tropical tree canopy. 

Inside, the design studio opted for warm tones and a lot of greenery, resulting in a calming environment. The 181-metre Brown Coffee stand, designed by Phnom Penh-based HKA+Partners, is one of the highlights for travellers and centres around a sculptural art installation by Cambodian artist Sopheap Pich.

L’article Cambodia opens new $2 billion Techo International Airport est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Home to the UNESCO World Heritage site Angkor Wat, last year, a new airport was created to service Siem Reap and the Angkor Archaeological Park, but benefits to tourism figures are yet to be seen. In 2019, revenue for ticket sales for the park accumulated $62.3 million from 1.4 million visitors in the first seven months of the year. The equivalent data for 2024 shows only $27.2 million from 584,375 tourists.

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One of the reasons for the snail pace revival is due to weak marketing. Beyond Angkor Wat, further tourist destinations aren’t as clearly promoted. The Cambodia Tourism Ministry held its introductory meeting with the newly formed Cambodia Tourism Board at the end of July to examine the current challenges and create a responding recovery plan. The conclusion was to begin rebuilding Cambodia’s profile over the course of 6 months to a year through methods such as reduced ticket fees at Angkor Archaeological Park during low season, targeted overseas marketing campaigns, cultural trips for media and travel agencies and innovative products.

Other factors hindering the country’s international visitor intake include climbing visa fees, tiring long-haul direct flights, and fears of kidnapping and scams stemming from a film based on true events in Cambodia’s neighbouring country, Thailand. The latter is partly responsible for the slowed return of Chinese visitors who accounted for a significant 33%, or 1.3 million, of Cambodia’s tourists in 2019.

“It is essential for Cambodia to address safety concerns and ensure a welcoming environment for all tourists, including those from China. Building trust and providing accurate information can help alleviate fears and maintain a positive relationship with Chinese travellers,” said Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association’s Cambodian division.

Efforts are already underway to boost recovery as two international airports in Phnom Penh and Dara Sakor in Koh Kong are in development. From October, a new direct flight from New Delhi to Phnom Penh will operate four times a week under low-cost airline Indigo Air. “There is a huge catchment market in India so we hope they are attracted to Cambodia as a destination,” said Steve Lidgey, general manager of Travel Asia a la Carte.

Hun Manet, Cambodia’s Prime Minister recently allocated $50 million to the new Cambodia Tourism Board, also suggesting a reduction in airport fees and flight landing among other travel boosting activities. Meanwhile, comments from Sinan, include boosting awareness on lesser known tourist destinations across the country, building transport and accommodation infrastructure to make these places accessible and organising cultural events to highlight Cambodia’s attractiveness year round.

L’article Why Cambodia is struggling to revive tourism est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Angkor Wat, UNESCO World Heritage Site, located in northwestern Cambodia, is managed by an office called APSARA which has launched an investigation aimed at gathering evidence to pursue legal action against the worst abusers. 

Feeding, handling, sex abuse and torture

Monkeys are a frequent target for content creators, who are accused not only of handling the creatures and feeding them an inappropriate diet which makes them aggressive and dependent on human handouts, but worse stunts too including sexual abuse of the animals – all for clicks.

While it is frowned upon, it is not illegal in Cambodia to film or even to feed the animals and therefore APSARA lacks the teeth to prevent the content creators approaching the animals. For those clicking and watching the videos on their devices, it is not always obvious how intrusive the creators have to be in order to film the animals.

Cambodia is not the only country where the practice is a problem and increasingly graphic and extreme footage is being created. In 2023, the BBC exposed a worldwide ring of people producing and sharing animal torture videos, resulting in the arrest of 20 people in the US and two in Indonesia.

But some of those filming think their footage is innocuous and are oblivious to the harm their content is causing. One 41-year-old YouTuber reported by CBS news said he hadn’t witnessed any abuse and did not think it was problematic to get so close to the creatures.

“The monkeys here are friendly,” he said. “After we take their pictures we give them food, so it is like we pay them for them giving us the chance to take their picture.”

But Long Kosal, an APSARA spokesperson challenged this view. “The monkey should be living in the wild, where they are supposed to be living, but the monkey nowadays is being treated like a domestic pet,” said. “They’re making the content to earn money by having the viewers on YouTube, so this is a very big issue for us.”

With the footage posted freely on the internet, it might be believed that finding those guilty of the most serious abuse would be easy, but part of the problem is they rarely appear in front of the camera themselves. “If we can build a case, they will be arrested for sure,” Long Kosal added. “Any animal abuser will be seriously punished by law in Cambodia.”

L’article Animal cruelty on the rise in Cambodia’s Angkor world heritage site est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Harmonious and in-keeping

The design by British “starchitect” firm, Foster + Partners, draws inspiration from Cambodia’s own architectural language, as well as from its native plants, climate and natural materials. A central headquarters will house the main passenger hub and retail, with soaring wing-like flanks either side to provide the departure and arrival terminals. The whole is unified and harmonised by a vaulted steel roof structure that creates the impression of an impressive tree canopy.

Inspired by Cambodia’s history and built heritage, the terminal’s design stands as a modern embodiment of Cambodian culture.

Nikolai Malsch, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners

Dense vegetation and native planting inside and out brings together interior and exterior spaces, as well as softening the impressive scale of the building. Borrowing from Le Corbusier’s principles of human scale, any lingering sense of a vast, inhuman monolith is broken up by tree-trunk-like pillars and the ability to see all the way through the airport and therefore better understand its layout and how to navigate it.

Limited level changes too, mean that the public can easily move through the airport without constantly being faced with stairs and elevators – an approach previously employed by Foster + Partners in the UK’s Stansted Airport, to the northeast of London.

Step-by-step to 50 million passengers?

The airport is now under construction, with the master plan followed and completed phase by phase. The first stage, including the terminal head and the side piers, will allow a throughput of 13 million passengers per year. The addition of a further wing will boost the airport’s capacity to up to 30 million passengers per year, with sights set on an eventual 50 million passengers.

The Phnom Penh project joins forces to boost Cambodia’s tourist offer, with a new airport for capital Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, further away from the ancient temple complex which it is feared was being damaged by the old hub’s proximity.

Foster + Partners

Foster + Partners was founded in 1967 by Sir Norman Foster and is responsible for some of the world’s most iconic and beloved buildings such as London’s Gherkin and the British Musuem’s Great Court, the Millau Viaduct across France’s Tarn Gorge, Berlin’s Reichstag, and Sydney’s Deutsche Bank building.

The firm has also carved out a name for itself as airport designers extraordinaire, with a long list of transportation hubs among its achievements, from Bilbao to Beijing, and Hong Kong to Heathrow’s Terminal 5. One of their signature stylings is the inclusion of immense vaulted and tessellating roof structures – seen again in Phnom Penh.

L’article Cambodia’s new Phnom Penh Techo airport set for 2025 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

UNESCO weaponised?

As previously reported by Travel Tomorrow, the Cambodian government is pushing to boost its tourism sector after the Covid-19 pandemic caused it to stall. The airport serving the area is being replaced with a new facility 40 km (25 miles) away from the fragile temple site to avoid structural damage caused by traffic.

As part of that growth strategy, it appears to have weaponised the ancient temple’s UNESCO World Heritage status to force families dwelling and working there to leave.

Up to 10,000 families have been affected by the ersatz expulsions, with people told that UNESCO would take away the temple’s designation if they did not get out. Some of the families are smallholders and farmers. Others earn a living from tourists and visitors to the temple, but, given the impression that its UNESCO reputation might be damaged if they did not leave, they have been left with little choice but to follow the government’s line.

Human rights breaches

It is true that the temple was awarded its UNESCO heritage label back in 1992 among fears that human settlement activity might jeopardise its preservation. However UNESCO has not clarified what this means for the families who live there. Now, human rights group Amnesty International have weighed in, calling on UNESCO to condemn the policy of uprooting the temple dwellers.

NEW REPORT: Cambodian authorities cruelly uprooted families who have lived in Angkor for several generations, forcing them to live hand to mouth at ill-prepared relocation sites. https://t.co/kKtwrKLSgH

— amnestypress (@amnestypress) November 14, 2023

The human rights group says the evictions breach international and national law. Its research has found that those evicted have not been properly compensated for the loss of their homes and livelihoods, have been resettled at unworkable distances from their former locations and do not have appropriate roads, water and electricity supplies and sanitation.

Intimidation and violence

Interviews with over 100 people have revealed that, in contrast to government claims that people are vacating their homes voluntarily, they are in fact doing so after being “intimidation, harassment, threats and acts of violence from Cambodian authorities.”

“Nobody wants to leave their home,” one woman who had lived in Angkor for more than 70 years told the researchers.

UNESCO is reported as refusing to take a stand, saying it “does not have the ability to enforce implementation of rights-based standards and policy recommendations, as our role is rather focused on policy advice, capacity building and advocacy.”

L’article Cambodia criticised for human rights violations at tourist hotspot Angkor Wat est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The brand new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport (SAI) sits 40 km (25 miles) from Angkor Wat, to the east of the historic site. The old airport which, in contrast, lay just 5 km (3 miles) from the temple, is being retired, amid fears flight operations there were causing structural damage to the centuries-old temple foundations.

Congratulations on the successful test operation of Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) with the arrival of non-commercial flights!#CambodiaAirways #SAI #siemreap #Cambodia #aviation pic.twitter.com/OJhduZgiqU

— Cambodia Airways (@CambodiaAirways) October 5, 2023

Shaking the foundations?

One of Cambodia’s premier visitor sites, the Angkor Archaeological Park comprises impressive Khmer Empire vestiges dating back to the 9^th century including the famous Hindu-Buddhist Temple and others. Overall it makes up the largest religious monument by land area in the world and attracts thousands of visitors a year – though not as many as Cambodia would like, especially since the pandemic.

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Cambodia welcomed 3.5 million international visitors in the year to August, just over half its pre-pandemic figures. The new airport, with capacity to throughput 7 million passengers per year, is sure to play an important part in the nation’s post-Covid-19 recovery plan.

Build-operate-transfer

Costing around $1.1 billion (1.04 billion euros), work began on the new airport in 2020, under a 55-year Cambodia–China so-called “build-operate-transfer” or “BOT” scheme, With its 3,600-metre (11,810-foot) runway, it takes up 700 hectares (1,730 acres) of land.

Sometimes referred to as the Belt and Road Initiative, and considered a cornerstone of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s foreign policy since 2013, China is investing huge sums and assuming a greater world leadership role in global infrastructure development under its “Major Country Diplomacy” strategy.

“Turning point”

The first flight to land at the new airport was a Bangkok Airways flight from Thailand, according to the AP. There will be connections available to several regional hubs, including Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore.

The official inauguration of the airport will not take place until mid November and is due to be attended by Prime Minister Hun Manet and top Chinese officials. It is being hailed as a “turning point” for Cambodian tourism.

The launching and commissioning of the first commercial flights to SAI is a turning point for Cambodia in promoting tourism development in its historic territory, with the largest international airport within the Siem Reap Angkor region.

Vongsey Vissoth, The Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Council of Ministers,

Other developments

Plans are already afoot to increase the new airport’s passenger handling to 12 million per year from 2040.

Chinese funding is also behind another new $1.5-billion airport (1.4-billion-euro) under construction and due to commence operations serving the capital in 2024.  Phnom Penh international airport, or “Techo (Takhmao) International Airport” to give it its proper name, occupies 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) south of Phnom Penh.

L’article Cambodia hails new Angkor Wat airport as a “turning point” est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

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Because the site is a famous tourist attraction, having welcomed over 2 million visitors in 2019, many locals have set up small businesses on the premises, selling souvenirs, paintings or food, living there at the same time. But the government is now evicting as many as 10,000 families, some having lived there for generations, arguing the move is needed to protect the area from deterioration.

Moreover, authorities have suggested that locals live in unsanitary conditions due to the lack of basic amenities like running water, electricity or sewage. “Despite that they are here illegally, the government is doing a lot of things to support their livelihoods”, Long Kosal, a spokesman for the Apsara National Authority, which manages the archaeological park, told AFP. “The area here cannot allow such unorganised settlement and there is very poor (sanitation).”

If we don’t resolve this, in the future our Angkor Wat will be withdrawn from the world heritage (list).

Hun Sen, Cambodia Prime Minister

UNESCO has indeed warned in the past that the site could lose its world heritage status due to urban development, however, in a statement for AFP, the organisation stressed that, while it had concerns about the site’s conservation in 2008, it “never called for population displacements” and that local communities should be the primary beneficiaries of tourism from heritage sites.

If they agree to move, families are offered a 20×30 plot of land in the Run Ta Ek village, about 25 kilometres away from Angkor Wat, $350 cash, 30 pieces of tin roofing material and access to a welfare card. Those who refuse, on the other hand, are removed from the premises by force without receiving any compensation. Moreover, once they arrive to the new location, they have to build their own houses. Residents have reported that not only are the costs of rebuilding their homes too high, the offered compensation not being nearly enough, but many of them are not in a physical condition to do so.

For most of the local community, this move, too far away from any tourist routes, means they will no longer be able to make a living and provide for their families. The villagers that already lived in Run Ta Ek are also affected, the farmland they relied on for income being given to the evicted families.

L’article Cambodia evicts 10,000 families from Angkor Wat site est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

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According to the Associated Press, Cambodia has recorded a total of 3,028 cases, including 23 deaths. On Thursday April 8th, the Health Ministry announced 113 new local cases and two deaths. The ministry has traced the latest outbreak to a foreign resident who did not comply with the quarantine rule in a hotel and went to a nightclub in early February. Later that month, the government announced a planned two-week closure of all public schools, cinemas, bars and entertainment venues in the capital, Phnom Penh. As the number of cases rose, the closures were extended throughout the country for schools, gyms, concert halls, museums and other gathering places.

At this time, Cambodia allows international tourists to enter the country but they are required to undergo a mandatory quarantine before being able to move freely. The Associated Press reports that a defunct luxury hotel in the capital has been converted into a 500-room coronavirus hospital, and the authorities are enforcing a new law imposing criminal punishment for violating health rules. The use of face masks is now mandatory in Phnom Penh and four of the country’s most densely populated provinces.

With a population of about 17 million, Cambodia has decided to expand its vaccine campaign, with the goal of vaccinating one million people per month beginning in April. Cambodia had acquired more than 3.1 million doses of vaccines from China and through the World Health Organization’s COVAX initiative.

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The Angkor site, in the northwestern province of Siem Reap, attracted more than 2 million foreign tourists in 2019. In 2020, international arrivals dropped dramatically due to the travel restrictions triggered by the pandemic.

L’article Angkor Wat closed until 20 April due to Covid-19 outbreak est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Cambodia is a Southeast Asian nation whose landscape spans low-lying plains, the Mekong Delta, mountains, and the Gulf of Thailand coastline. Phnom Penh, its capital, is home to the art deco Central Market, glittering Royal Palace, and the National Museum’s historical and archaeological exhibits. In the country’s northwest are the ruins of Angkor Wat, a massive stone temple complex built during the Khmer Empire. In fact, there are plenty of things to do and visit in this country. I would like to share 10 of them with you that you might dream of visiting after the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Visit Angkor Archaeologica Park

Angkor is certainly the first name that comes to your mind when you hear the word “Cambodia”. Angkor Archaeological Park is located in northern Cambodia and is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. The most famous is the Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple with its countless sculptural decorations. If you want to the best pictures of Angkor Wat you need to come early in the morning to see the beautiful sunrise. Angkor Archaeological Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1992.

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2. Gibbon Spotting

Besides exploring the city or the cultural highlights in Cambodia, you can do some fun outdoor activities such as trekking and observing the rare northern yellow-cheeked gibbons in their natural habitat. Gibbon spotting has become extremely popular in the country.

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3. Microlight Flight Above Cambodia

If you can enjoy the beautiful view of Cambodia from above perhaps it might just be one of your best life experiences. You can fly above Cambodia over the temples of Angkor, lush jungles, floating villages, and flooded forests with Cambodia’s Microlight Flight Aircraft. Prepare your camera and be ready to take amazing pictures from the sky!

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4. Sail along the Mekong River

Mekong River is the trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. From the Tibetan Plateau, the river runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Take the cruise from Phnom Penh at sunset and you will have a beautiful view of this place, ideal for taking some great pictures too.

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5. Attend a cooking class

Cambodia is not only a country of buildings and archaeological sites but also a country of food. The best thing to do wherever you are traveling in another country is to attend a cooking class, not just to learn how to cook local food but also to interact with other people and learn their culture. For example, you can take a cooking class in Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.

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6. See the Planktons Glow at Night in Koh Rong

While you are in Cambodia, you must visit this stunning natural phenomenon in Koh Rong, the bioluminescent plankton. You can only see it at night, and it shows up best when there’s no moon and you’re away from any light pollution. It’s so lovely to see all the light coming from the sea, you might think you are in a Disney movie, but no this is real!

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7. Eat Local Food

If you don’t want to cook, you should still try the local food. In Cambodia, you can find easily local food everywhere on the street food from Lort Cha, grilled skewer, Kuy Teav, Kralan to Coconut Ice Cream. Don’t worry you if you gain a few kilos, it’s really tasty so worth it.

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8. Go to the beach

Like other tropical countries in Asia, Cambodia has some beautiful beaches to visit. Cambodia’s beaches can be found in four of the country’s provinces: Sihanoukville, Kampot, Koh Kong, and Kep. Don’t forget your sunglasses and sun cream!

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9. Visit the Killing Fields

Visiting this place will perhaps make you feel scared and sad because of the history, you will find thousands of skulls and bones here. More than a million people were killed and buried by the Khmer Rouge regime (the Communist Party of Kampuchea) during its rule of the country from 1975 to 1979. But do visit this place in form of a memorial.

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10. Eat some insects

In Cambodia you can find plenty of snacks made from insects. Delicious Tarantula, maggots, crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers and red ants, you must try all these tasty crunchy insects while in Cambodia. They might look creepy and disgusting but they are full of protein.

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L’article 10 best things to do in Cambodia est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

There has not yet been official news on the event’s status and especially TRAVEX — the main component from 19 to 21 January — less than three months away. The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism is working with MP International, the PCO handling the event, to release an official announcement.

Thong Rathasak, director general, tourism development and international cooperation, said the unprecedented Covid‐19 pandemic has brought “a lot of changes and challenges” for events and trade shows.

Rathasak confirmed that Cambodia will remain the host of the next ATF, although Indonesia would have been next in line for the travel trade show, which brings together meetings of government ministries/agencies and trade associations of the 10‐country bloc.

ATF 2021 was expected to draw some 2,000 participants from more than 25 countries. The prolonged pandemic, international travel restrictions and limited airline operations in the region and long haul, have nonetheless derailed the plans the event.

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#Funfact of Cambodia Phnom Penh – Described as the “Pearl of Asia”. Gleaming in gold, Royal Palace is a must-go landmark. Built in 1866 by His Majesty Preah Bat Norodom. #ATF2021 #ATF2021Cambodia #Travel #leisure

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Besides new dates, it also isn’t known yet whether the 2021 theme of “ASEAN – A Community of Peace and Shared Future” will be retained, and if Chroy Changvar International Exhibition Hall, currently under construction, will still be the venue.

ASEAN Tourism Forum

The ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) is a cooperative regional effort to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one tourist destination. This annual event involves all the tourism industry sectors of the 10 member states of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

ATF was established in 1981. Each year, the hosting of ATF is rotated among the member countries, and 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the event.

L’article ASEAN Tourism Forum postponed to 2022 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.