Cambodia's aviation sector soars thanks to rise in Chinese visitors

APD

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"Cambodia Airports handled 5.73 million passengers in 2014, representing a 13 percent increase over the 5.08 million passengers handled in 2013," The Cambodia Daily quoted data in the report as saying.

The country's neighbours fared not so well, according to the report, with Vietnam experiencing growth of 11 percent followed by Indonesia and Malaysia at five percent, Thailand at three percent and Singapore at one percent.

The report said the total number of travelers who passed through Cambodia's three airports -- Siem Reap International Airport, Phnom Penh International Airport, and Sihanoukville International Airport -- was 50 percent higher last year than in 2011.

The report credits Cambodia's regional dominance last year in part to an influx of Chinese tourists, many of whom changed their travel plans at the last minute.

"Tourist arrivals at Cambodia's two international airports were up by about 13 percent, driven by an over 20 percent increase in arrivals from China," the newspaper quoted the report as saying.

"Cambodia was able to attract a significant number of Chinese tourists in 2014 who were initially planning to travel to Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore.

"Demand for holidays to Thailand was impacted through the first nine months of 2014 by the civil unrest in Bangkok while Malaysia demand was impacted following the March 2014 Malaysia Airlines MH370 incident," the report said.

The main beneficiaries of the increase in Chinese travelers are Cambodia's seven Chinese-owned airlines, it said.

Cambodian Tourism Ministry Director-General Tith Chantha said the increase in Chinese visitors could also be the result of new trade between the two countries.

"Last year, Cambodia joined many tourism and trade exhibitions in China and signed deals with Chinese counterparts to attract Chinese investors to inject their money in the tourism sector and airlines," the Cambodia Daily quoted him as saying.