Northstar

www.travelweekly-asia.com 17 OC TOBER 2018 TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA I T B A S I A S H O W D A I L I E S 21 CAMBODIA GETS CONNECTED A lmost 1.1 million Chinese tourists visited Cambodia this year from January to July, an increase of 72.6% over the same period last year. This will be further boosted with last month's launch of a JC International Airlines flight from Guangzhou to Sihanoukville in Cambodia. It is the third Cambodian city with a direct air connection to Guangzhou. With an expected 6.2 million foreign visitors by the end of the year, Cambodia is keen to attract new markets and is making efforts to improve infrastructure. Last month, Cambodia and France agreed to cooperate more to boost the Kingdom's tourism industry and hope to sign a memorandum of understanding in future. Japanese tourists is also another segment that Cambodia hopes to attract more of and it will focus on promoting new tourism products, destinations, PENANG PREPS FOR MORE VISITORS C urrently clocking the highest port of calls in Malaysia, Penang Port aims to increase the number of international arrivals to one million in five years. Last year, the port saw 400,000 visitors. "PGT consistently updates cruise operators and trade partners on the latest tourism products in Penang," said Ooi Chok Yan, CEO, Penang Global Tourism (PGT), a state tourism bureau. PGT is working with relevant stakeholders such as Port Penang, cruise liners and trade partners in trade shows, familiarisation tours and to enhance passenger experience in the port with promotional materials. Tourism is one of the major focus of Penang and the state is always welcoming and creative in coming up with new tourism products, he said. One new tourist area the state is focusing on is Batu Kawan in the Seberang Perai district in the south of Penang, with plans for the development of a water theme park there to turn it into a mixed development area. Penang airport also saw almost twice the number of international arrivals from January to July this year at 999,803 compared to 591,260 for the same period in 2017, with most visitors coming from Indonesia, Singapore, China, Taiwan, Japan, the United Kingdom, Thailand and Australia. BY AUDREY NG BY AUDREY NG VISIT BOOTH: C54 VISIT BOOTH: B05 accommodation, food services and direct flights between the countries. To improve its tourism sector, the Cambodian government will focus on enhancing the quality of local services, growing tourism products such as eco- tourism destinations and strengthening its market research capabilities. It is also prioritising the digitalisation of services and products and adoption of advanced technologies, which includes training tourism professionals on new skills and fostering innovation among entrepreneurs. More rooms are also needed, according to the Ministry of Tourism. With the current more than 800 hotels (about 46,000 rooms), at least 100,000 guesthouse and hotels rooms are needed in the next decade to meet tourist growth, especially in the coastal Preah Sihanouk province. AIR MAURITIUS EXPANDS CHINA REACH Air Mauritius has expanded its network in Asia, launching a new weekly flight to Wuhan, China in August. Flight MK690 is scheduled to depart from Mauritius on Saturdays at 0920, arriving in Wuhan at 0010. The return flight MK691 departs from Wuhan at 0210, and arrives in Mauritius on Sundays at 0840 (all timings local). The route will be operated by an Airbus A340 in a 34 business class and 264 economy class configuration. The national carrier began services to China in July 2011 with a weekly flight to Shanghai. It now operates from its hubs in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore. It also operates charter flights to Chengdu. "We are expecting high load factors from Wuhan," said Somas Appavou, CEO, Air Mauritius. The carrier said in a release in July that it was looking to bring services to new destinations such as Bangkok, while exploring new markets including Seychelles, Comoros and South Korea. BY NAOMI NEOH Ooi says PGT is working closely with airlines, wholesalers and OTAs on marketing campaigns targeting different countries and the campaign approach will be 'custom made' to fit the profile of different countries. He adds that the state's accessibility, leisure tourism, medical tourism and business events continue to be the main draws for tourists. Cambodia has increased connections with strategic markets to lure more visitors. PHOT0 CREDIT: GIOVANNI1232/GETTY IMAGES VISIT BOOTH: G48 PHOT0 CREDIT: GETTYIMAGES. Ooi Chok Yan, CEO, Penang Global Tourism (PGT), a state tourism bureau.

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