Cambodia may soon join the ranks of Phuket, Koh Samui and Bali with plans to transform the picture perfect island of Koh Rong into the "next Asian Riviera".
Architects and environmental consultants have worked to create "Asia's first environmentally planned resort destination" in a study which outlined a 25 year transformation of the island, according to Property Report.
The study to renovate Koh Rong is currently being distributed to international investors, many "already eyeing early progress with keen interest", despite the projected quarter century completion, CB Richard Ellis Thailand Chairman David Simister said."We are targeting forward looking investors within the region and globally who share a mutual vision on ecological development and who want to be part of creating South East Asia's new resort destination." While the study details plans for an international airport as well as possible sites for hotels, resorts, golf courses and shopping there is a highlighted emphasis on guidelines for sustainable development."Key to the eco strategy is that all development partners conform to recycling and low energy use, with minimal use of high energy consuming materials," study participant MAP Architects Director David Clarke said.
Various projects will be restricted to "an eco-green theme with earth tones", organic farming will be implemented, fresh water will be collected from small reservoirs and dams beneath the island, and there will possibly be educational lessons dedicated to environmental sustainability."The master plan for Koh Rong presents perhaps a unique opportunity to create virtually from the beginning a truly ecologically sustainable large scale resort community," Scott Wilson General Manager Lauri Van Run said. According to Mr Clarke, all that remains is bringing the dream to life, "we need to sell this island to the world".The island located 44 kilometers from the Sihanoukville coast of Cambodia was recognised earlier in the year by international business magazine Forbes which listed Koh Rong in the top 22 of "Asia's Best Beaches".
Sourced=etravelblackboardasia
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Siem Reap looks to the big city
The peaks of Siem Reap’s tourist-packed high season bode well for many food and shopping boutiques, but the troughs of low season have some businesses moving down National Road 6 to the capital, in the hope of tapping a more predictable customer base.
The Blue Pumpkin chain of eateries, already eight stores strong in Siem Reap, will open its first restaurant and food outlet in Phnom Penh before the end of the year.
Restaurant owner Arnaud Curtat says the new store, set to open on the capital’s river front, will be the ninth Blue Pumpkin he controls.Although it employs 130 staff members across eight locations in Siem Reap, Curtat says Siem Reap’s small size means growth is limited.“We have many locations, but not all locations are profitable.”While the Siem Reap-based business draws many tourists, Curtat says he expects a Phnom Penh store would attract a much less transient expat dollar.
Elizabeth Kiester, owner of women’s clothing and accessory store Wanderlust, says the move to Phnom Penh has given the business a stable customer base.Opening on Street 240 last year, one year after launching the boutique in Siem Reap, Kiester is enjoying the capital’s steadier patronage.“In Siem Reap, it’s more transient – when customers come in, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll never see them again,” she said, whereas in the capital, it’s possible to engage a more regular customer base and maintain a steady business.
In Siem Reap’s high season, the shops are “rocking”, whereas the town is dead in low season, Kiester said. “It’s almost like they’re completely different businesses.”Also making the move south is Bodia Spa. Owned by Cambodia-France joint venture Geolink, it already has two spas in Siem Reap but in late May opened a branch in Phnom Penh.
Bodia Spa business manager Kann Soann said the move had successfully seen the business cut its reliance on the tourist dollar.Only 60 percent of Phnom Penh customers are tourists, compared to Siem Reap’s 85 percent.However, not all the traffic is heading one way.
Global firms and banks are now seeing a chance to expand to Siem Reap after building a base in Phnom Penh.Ford opened a dealership in town in late June, after recognising that the area has an emerging industrial market, said office manager Chea Sokhon.“People thought Siem Reap was a tourist place, but more and more it’s becoming an industry place,” he said.“One of the reasons that all the new things are coming here is that people are becoming more educated.”He says the Ford business is growing off the back of NGOs and tourism sector players buying vehicles for their specific needs.
It has set itself a target for its three sales staff to sell 60 vehicles in its first 12 months.Rival company Mitsubishi also has plans to open in Siem Reap, according to a company employee, but no date has been fixed.Larger banks are also seeking a presence in the Kingdom’s north.
ANZ Royal Bank began the trend, opening a branch in 2006, and Malaysian-owned Maybank has been there for a year, but declined to comment on how the business is going.Most recent arrival, Vietnamese-owned BIDC bank, opened a branch there in July. The branch employs almost 20 people. To date it has 30 account holders in Siem Reap, said spokesman Thanh Tuan.
Sourced=phnompenhpost
The Blue Pumpkin chain of eateries, already eight stores strong in Siem Reap, will open its first restaurant and food outlet in Phnom Penh before the end of the year.
Restaurant owner Arnaud Curtat says the new store, set to open on the capital’s river front, will be the ninth Blue Pumpkin he controls.Although it employs 130 staff members across eight locations in Siem Reap, Curtat says Siem Reap’s small size means growth is limited.“We have many locations, but not all locations are profitable.”While the Siem Reap-based business draws many tourists, Curtat says he expects a Phnom Penh store would attract a much less transient expat dollar.
Elizabeth Kiester, owner of women’s clothing and accessory store Wanderlust, says the move to Phnom Penh has given the business a stable customer base.Opening on Street 240 last year, one year after launching the boutique in Siem Reap, Kiester is enjoying the capital’s steadier patronage.“In Siem Reap, it’s more transient – when customers come in, there’s a pretty good chance we’ll never see them again,” she said, whereas in the capital, it’s possible to engage a more regular customer base and maintain a steady business.
In Siem Reap’s high season, the shops are “rocking”, whereas the town is dead in low season, Kiester said. “It’s almost like they’re completely different businesses.”Also making the move south is Bodia Spa. Owned by Cambodia-France joint venture Geolink, it already has two spas in Siem Reap but in late May opened a branch in Phnom Penh.
Bodia Spa business manager Kann Soann said the move had successfully seen the business cut its reliance on the tourist dollar.Only 60 percent of Phnom Penh customers are tourists, compared to Siem Reap’s 85 percent.However, not all the traffic is heading one way.
Global firms and banks are now seeing a chance to expand to Siem Reap after building a base in Phnom Penh.Ford opened a dealership in town in late June, after recognising that the area has an emerging industrial market, said office manager Chea Sokhon.“People thought Siem Reap was a tourist place, but more and more it’s becoming an industry place,” he said.“One of the reasons that all the new things are coming here is that people are becoming more educated.”He says the Ford business is growing off the back of NGOs and tourism sector players buying vehicles for their specific needs.
It has set itself a target for its three sales staff to sell 60 vehicles in its first 12 months.Rival company Mitsubishi also has plans to open in Siem Reap, according to a company employee, but no date has been fixed.Larger banks are also seeking a presence in the Kingdom’s north.
ANZ Royal Bank began the trend, opening a branch in 2006, and Malaysian-owned Maybank has been there for a year, but declined to comment on how the business is going.Most recent arrival, Vietnamese-owned BIDC bank, opened a branch there in July. The branch employs almost 20 people. To date it has 30 account holders in Siem Reap, said spokesman Thanh Tuan.
Sourced=phnompenhpost
Monday, October 5, 2009
The South Gate
The South Gate of Angkor Thom is one of five gates to the ancient city, and it is also the busiest. Even in the rainy season, there are always cars and buses queuing to enter the narrow gateway. Tourists usually walk over the causeway, admiring the gateway and reproductions of the heads of the gods and demons along the balustrade.
It is slightly amusing to see hordes of tourists crammed together, when only a few metres away they would be virtually alone. To avoid seeing the South Gate clogged with traffic and tourists, walk to the left down to the moat for the view shown in the photo. The traffic and people are hidden by the walls of the causeway and cattle can often be seen grazing by the water's edge.
Nearby are a couple of small temples - Prasat Bei with three towers, and Baksei Chamkrong, a 12 metre pyramid dedicated to Shiva. Its name means "the bird which shelters under its wings." This refers to the legend of King Yasovarman escaping from battle, being saved by a huge bird which hid him from view. Both these temples date from the tenth century.
Airbus Cuts 2009 Target For A380 Deliveries
European planemaker Airbus confirmed yesterday it had cut its 2009 delivery target for A380s by one aircraft to 13 planes and said it was maintaining its delivery forecast for 2010.
"In agreement with a customer [Singapore Airlines] we have moved the 14th aircraft [for 2009] by a few weeks from December to early 2010," spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said.
"We maintain our planning to deliver more than 20 aircraft in 2010 as announced," he added. Shares in parent EADS fell 0.5 percent in early trading, slightly lagging other leading stocks.
Airbus is shifting into a second automated production phase for the A380 known as Wave 2.
The first 25 aircraft had to be wired up manually due to industrial problems that pushed delivery of the world's largest jetliner back by two years.
"'We have just recently delivered the first Wave 2 aircraft and the second will follow very soon," Schaffrath said.
"In agreement with a customer [Singapore Airlines] we have moved the 14th aircraft [for 2009] by a few weeks from December to early 2010," spokesman Stefan Schaffrath said.
"We maintain our planning to deliver more than 20 aircraft in 2010 as announced," he added. Shares in parent EADS fell 0.5 percent in early trading, slightly lagging other leading stocks.
Airbus is shifting into a second automated production phase for the A380 known as Wave 2.
The first 25 aircraft had to be wired up manually due to industrial problems that pushed delivery of the world's largest jetliner back by two years.
"'We have just recently delivered the first Wave 2 aircraft and the second will follow very soon," Schaffrath said.
Siem Reap Airlines set to resume on all routes
Govt says the troubled line will resume its international flights and Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route - most likely in October.
Siem Reap Airways will resume international flights - as well as the domestic Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route - when it relaunches, most likely next month, a government aviation official said Sunday.
Sinn Chansereyvutha, director of the department of policy planning at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), said that the airline would again fly to Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
The airline started flying to Ho Chi Minh City in late October before it grounded all international flights from December 1 following a European Union ban imposed after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation found Cambodia in breach of 107 standards.
As the only Cambodian airline at the time, it therefore decided to suspend flights, Terry Alton, Siem Reap Airways general manager, previously told the Post. He was unavailable for further comment Sunday.
"We do not have any more reasons to suspend Siem Reap Airways flights . because the company already has the necessary documents and has fulfilled technical requirements," said Sinn Chansereyvutha, adding that the government had approved a new two-year licence for the airline.
"We believe that Siem Reap Airways will start its official flights by November," he said.
News of the return of the troubled airline comes after the Cambodian government chose not to renew the licence for its owner, Bangkok Airways, to fly the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route from October 25, a decision it announced to travel agents the same day, according to a company
statement. It did not give any further details on the suspension of its flights on the route in the announcement.
The government said the decision was made on the basis that Bangkok Airways had only been granted the route due to the suspension of Siem Reap Airways flights last year.
New national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air started the same domestic route at the end of July, and it now looks certain that two domestic carriers will compete on the Siem Reap-Phnom Penh route from the end of next month at the latest.
Relaunch date still unclear
Sinn Chansereyvutha said the exact restart date for Siem Reap Airways would depend on when the carrier was ready to fly again.
The airline had not posted news of its relaunch on its Web site by late Sunday.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways will increase the fuel surcharge on its international flights to and from Cambodia from October 1, it said in announcement, from US$15 to $20 per one-way flight. The airline said it would keep the fuel surcharge for domestic flights in the Kingdom at $12 per ticket from the same date until it stops flying between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
The last flight on the route is scheduled to fly from the capital at 12:35pm on October 24.
Siem Reap Airways will resume international flights - as well as the domestic Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route - when it relaunches, most likely next month, a government aviation official said Sunday.
Sinn Chansereyvutha, director of the department of policy planning at the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), said that the airline would again fly to Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
The airline started flying to Ho Chi Minh City in late October before it grounded all international flights from December 1 following a European Union ban imposed after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation found Cambodia in breach of 107 standards.
As the only Cambodian airline at the time, it therefore decided to suspend flights, Terry Alton, Siem Reap Airways general manager, previously told the Post. He was unavailable for further comment Sunday.
"We do not have any more reasons to suspend Siem Reap Airways flights . because the company already has the necessary documents and has fulfilled technical requirements," said Sinn Chansereyvutha, adding that the government had approved a new two-year licence for the airline.
"We believe that Siem Reap Airways will start its official flights by November," he said.
News of the return of the troubled airline comes after the Cambodian government chose not to renew the licence for its owner, Bangkok Airways, to fly the Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route from October 25, a decision it announced to travel agents the same day, according to a company
statement. It did not give any further details on the suspension of its flights on the route in the announcement.
The government said the decision was made on the basis that Bangkok Airways had only been granted the route due to the suspension of Siem Reap Airways flights last year.
New national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air started the same domestic route at the end of July, and it now looks certain that two domestic carriers will compete on the Siem Reap-Phnom Penh route from the end of next month at the latest.
Relaunch date still unclear
Sinn Chansereyvutha said the exact restart date for Siem Reap Airways would depend on when the carrier was ready to fly again.
The airline had not posted news of its relaunch on its Web site by late Sunday.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Airways will increase the fuel surcharge on its international flights to and from Cambodia from October 1, it said in announcement, from US$15 to $20 per one-way flight. The airline said it would keep the fuel surcharge for domestic flights in the Kingdom at $12 per ticket from the same date until it stops flying between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
The last flight on the route is scheduled to fly from the capital at 12:35pm on October 24.
Govt to stop Bangkok Air's domestic flights
Civil aviation body says that Thai airline will not have its agreement extended for Phnom Penh-Siem Reap route. The government will not renew its agreement with Bangkok Airways, under which the Thai-owned airline flies domestic routes, when it expires on October 25, a senior aviation official told the Post late Wednesday.
State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) Secretary of State Mao Havannal said the decision was made to give a boost to the new national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), which made its maiden flight on July 28.
"Now that we have our own domestic airline, Bangkok Airways will not be allowed to continue their flights when the agreement finishes on October 25," he said.
Bangkok Airways has been flying four flights daily between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap since taking over the route last November when its subsidiary, Siem Reap Airways, was grounded by the SSCA.
SSCA Cabinet Chief Long Chheng said Thursday that the body sent Bangkok Airways a letter last week informing it of the decision.
Bangkok Airways Acting Country Director Amornrat Kongsawat was not available for comment Thursday.
A representative of the airline in Bangkok who did not want to be named said she was unaware of the issue, but added that affairs in Cambodia did not come under her jurisdiction.
SSCA Director of Operations Kao Sivorn confirmed that the decision was a commercial one to support the new national carrier.
"Before, we allowed this airline to operate domestically because we did not have a local company, but now we have, so we will not let them continue," he said.
However, he added that the airline would be able to negotiate a code-share agreement with CAA so that its passengers could continue flying between the two destinations.
Mao Havannal also ruled out a return to the skies for Siem Reap Airways, saying it still did not comply with "the proper standards".
The airline, which was founded in 2000, was grounded last year amid concerns over safety standards and financial irregularities after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The audit found that the airline did not comply with Cambodian airline regulations, including safety standards, and also raised concerns over the ability of Cambodian civil aviation authorities to enforce international safety standards.
A source within the SSCA told the Post in June the audit found Cambodia in breach of 107 international standards and said it would ban all local airlines if action was not taken, leading to the decision by authorities to take a tough stand against Siem Reap Airways.
The European Commission also banned Siem Reap Airways from operating in the European Union last year due to safety concerns, even though the airline did not offer service to Europe.
Soy Sokhan, an undersecretary of state at the SSCA who is in charge of all matters related to CAA on behalf of the government, said the end of Bangkok Airways agreement would "give us the chance to get more passengers".
State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA) Secretary of State Mao Havannal said the decision was made to give a boost to the new national carrier Cambodia Angkor Air (CAA), which made its maiden flight on July 28.
"Now that we have our own domestic airline, Bangkok Airways will not be allowed to continue their flights when the agreement finishes on October 25," he said.
Bangkok Airways has been flying four flights daily between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap since taking over the route last November when its subsidiary, Siem Reap Airways, was grounded by the SSCA.
SSCA Cabinet Chief Long Chheng said Thursday that the body sent Bangkok Airways a letter last week informing it of the decision.
Bangkok Airways Acting Country Director Amornrat Kongsawat was not available for comment Thursday.
A representative of the airline in Bangkok who did not want to be named said she was unaware of the issue, but added that affairs in Cambodia did not come under her jurisdiction.
SSCA Director of Operations Kao Sivorn confirmed that the decision was a commercial one to support the new national carrier.
"Before, we allowed this airline to operate domestically because we did not have a local company, but now we have, so we will not let them continue," he said.
However, he added that the airline would be able to negotiate a code-share agreement with CAA so that its passengers could continue flying between the two destinations.
Mao Havannal also ruled out a return to the skies for Siem Reap Airways, saying it still did not comply with "the proper standards".
The airline, which was founded in 2000, was grounded last year amid concerns over safety standards and financial irregularities after an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The audit found that the airline did not comply with Cambodian airline regulations, including safety standards, and also raised concerns over the ability of Cambodian civil aviation authorities to enforce international safety standards.
A source within the SSCA told the Post in June the audit found Cambodia in breach of 107 international standards and said it would ban all local airlines if action was not taken, leading to the decision by authorities to take a tough stand against Siem Reap Airways.
The European Commission also banned Siem Reap Airways from operating in the European Union last year due to safety concerns, even though the airline did not offer service to Europe.
Soy Sokhan, an undersecretary of state at the SSCA who is in charge of all matters related to CAA on behalf of the government, said the end of Bangkok Airways agreement would "give us the chance to get more passengers".
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Tourism arrivals rebounded in July, says govt
A 10 percent jump in tourism arrivals in July eroded losses over the first six months of the year, according to unofficial numbers released by Tourism Minister Thong Khon.
More than 163,000 people visited the country last month, he said, bringing arrivals for the first seven months of the year to 1,284,085, a 0.3 percent rise on the 1,246,685 million visitors through to the end of July 2008.
Figures for the first six months of the year show a 1.1 percent fall in visitor arrivals, compared with a year earlier, to 1,086,518. The figures include tourists and business travellers.
An increase in visitors from neighbouring Laos and Vietnam offset a huge fall in arrivals from South Korea, which was the single largest source country for foreign visitors in the early part of 2008 until the bottom fell out of the country's economy.
"The opening of tourism hubs, such as new border crossings and the new national air carrier, a lowering on tourism service prices and efforts to facilitate transport routes into Cambodia were key ways to draw tourists from the region, as well as those from European, during the [financial] crisis," Thong Khon said.
However, he warned that the majority of Vietnamese tended to visit Phnom Penh rather than Siem Reap, meaning the downturn in visitors from South Korea was still felt strongly in Cambodia's main tourism hub.
Accurate numbers were unavailable for July, but visitors from South Korea fell 33 percent year-on-year over the first half from 160,446 to 106,345. Arrivals from Vietnam were up 40 percent over the same period from 105,275 to 147,721, while Laotian visitors increased 141 percent to 52,708.
Thong Khon said arrivals from Vietnam were up 46 percent year-on-year in July.
"Vietnamese tourists still lead tourists from all other countries, followed by those from South Korea and America," he said.
Tourism figures show 79,657 Americans visited during the first six months of the year, marginally up on a year earlier, 70,183 Japanese, down 13.5 percent, and 234,439 Europeans, marginally down on the first six months of 2008.
Ho Vandy, co-chairman of the Government-Private Sector Forum's Tourism Working Group, said the slight recovery in July had been noticed. "[It's] a good sign for all of us who earn a living in the tourism sector, and we are not so concerned now about the slow months earlier this year," he said.
Ho Vandy is also the owner of World Express Tours & Travel.
Cambodia's Hotel Association (CHA) President Luu Meng said the number of bookings in hotels was increasing, indicating the recovery was the start of better times ahead. "We have received more reservations and bookings from people coming to stay and visit our country, mostly from Japan, Europe and America," he said.
Thong Khon said he was optimistic arrivals would expand between 2 percent and 3 percent from 2008, when 2.12 million people visited Cambodia.
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