The Cambodian private sector is optimistic about Cambodia Angkor Air’s plans to expand direct flights between major cities in China and key destinations in Cambodia, saying they expect it to bring positive benefits to Cambodia in tourism, trade and Chinese investment growth.

Zhan David, CEO of Cambodia Angkor Air, met with Minister of Tourism Huot Hak on October 16 at the Ministry of Tourism.

During the meeting, he announced that in 2025, the airline plans to increase and add direct flights between cities in China and Cambodia. The airline also plans to increase domestic flights, in order to contribute to the recovery of Cambodia's tourism sector by providing easier travel options for international tourists, particularly Chinese visitors to Cambodia.

During the meeting, David also promised to continue promoting Cambodia’s tourism potential to the Chinese population and mentioned plans to organise business forums with Chinese investors to attract more investment to Cambodia.

According to tourism ministry data, from January to July 2024, Cambodia received a total of 3,742,230 international tourists, an increase of 23.2% compared to the same period in 2023. Among them, 538,834 tourists were from China, an rise of 47.7% compared to the same period in the previous year.

Anheng Sokpheak, president of the Cambodia Chinese Tour Guide Association, told The Post on October 18 that Chinese tourists are considered a key market for Cambodia’s tourism industry, with the number of Chinese tourists steadily increasing, albeit not to pre-Covid-19 levels.

Increasing the frequency of flights and adding new destinations is a vital strategy to make travel easier and attract more foreign visitors to Cambodia, he noted.

He added that Chinese tourists generally stay in Cambodia for 5 to 8 days, and that their main destinations are the ancient temples in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville.

"As someone working in the tourism sector, I fully support and welcome Cambodia Angkor Air's plan to increase flights to major Chinese cities. The more flights we have, the easier it will be to attract more Chinese guests to Cambodia," he said.

According to data from the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia (GDCE), the total trade volume between Cambodia and China from January to the end of September amounted to $11.15 billion, a 22.5% increase compared to the same period last year, when it was $9.1 billion. Of this, Cambodian exports to China totalled $1.28 billion, a 20.8% increase. Imports from China were valued at $9.87 billion, a 22.7% jump.

Lor Vichet, vice-president of the Cambodia Chinese Commerce Association (CCCA), explained on October 18 that China is currently a global hub for producing and processing raw materials and finished products. The expansion of flights will offer more options for Chinese tourists and investors to explore investment opportunities in Cambodia. This could help raise awareness of the Kingdom and encourage more Chinese investment.

He also noted that this expansion could benefit Cambodian businesses by allowing them to seek investment partners or locate high-quality and reasonably priced raw materials or products to meet local demand and support further export operations.

 “Travel, even in terms of tourism, will help Chinese citizens, including investors, understand the needs of Cambodian consumers for both domestic and export products, potentially motivating them to consider establishing production facilities in Cambodia,” he said.

“The growth in trade between the two nations will also be boosted by the arrival of more tourists,” added Vichet.