Tourism Minister Thong Khon said Thursday 17 that he expected the local tourism industry to increase 20 percent in 2008. The increase is equivalent to around 6 million tourist visits.
"I think that the Koh Kong coast and the ecotourism area in the northeast are the two areas which will drive local tourist growth," he told reporters at a tourism development workshop.
He said that road improvements and better infrastructure would drive Cambodians to explore their own country.
Ho Vandy, chairman of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents (CATA), agreed with Thong Khon's prediction, "we are worried about the shortage of hotels, vehicles and food for our tourists," he said. "And this is only local tourism that has increased 20-30 percent, not counting international visitors."
A recent Tourism Ministry report claimed that five million Cambodian tourists took pleasure trips in 2007, mostly to Angkor Wat and the coast, claiming a total of 2,015,128 tourist visits including foreigners. The ministry has said it is aiming at 3.2 million tourists by 2010.
This article first appeared in The Mekong Times
The Mekong Times is a daily newspaper distributed in Cambodia.
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