Fully tapping into the top ten markets boasting the highest numbers ofvisitors to Vietnam, including Cambodia, is seen as a priority task ofthe tourism industry to accomplish the target of serving 4.5 millionforeign tourists in 2010.
Statistics released by the General Statistics Office show the number ofCambodian holidaymakers to Vietnam has grown steadily during the firstsix months of the year, reaching 117,000 or a year-on-year rise of 36percent.
The tourism sector is expecting the numberof Cambodian tourists to the country in 2010 would surge by 30 percentfrom the figure of 118,000 last year.
Ho Chi MinhCity leads the nation in terms of attracting Cambodian visitors, makingup 60-70 percent of the total number. It is followed by the CentralHighlands province of Lam Dong, the Mekong Delta province of An Giangand the southern province of Binh Duong.
Industryinsiders said visa exemptions, high quality goods, attractive touristdestinations and convenient travel are the main attractions that draw anincreasing number of holidaymakers from Cambodia to Vietnam.
Transport firms such as Mai Linh and the Saigon PassengerTransportation Company (Sapaco) have highly valued the development oftourist transport services between the two neighbours. Every day, thereare almost 80 bus trips full of passengers on the route.
In a recent interview, the Secretary of State of the CambodianMinistry of Tourism, He So Somara, said Cambodians used to prefertravelling to Thailand, but now they choose Vietnam for their holidaysdue to short distance, the availability of border gates, similar foodsto Cambodia and low expenses.
The development ofdifferent tourism forms, including resort and health tourism, has alsobeen attracting more Cambodian visitors to Vietnam, he said.
Dr Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Mediccentre, said an average of more than 100 Cambodian patients have come tothe centre for medical checks-up each day, accounting for 10 percent ofthe total number. Other hospitals such as Cho Ray, Traditional Medicineand Vu Anh have become popular destinations of Cambodians.
However, tourist firms said most of the tours from Cambodia arelaunched at the demands of Cambodian people following fairs showcasingVietnamese products and Vietnamese doctors’ trips to provide medicalchecks-up and treatment, while the tourism industry itself has yet toembark on any activities to tap this market.
Toseize this opportunity, Ho Chi Minh City is developing tours alongrivers into its major tourism products to woo more foreign visitors,including those from Cambodia. A number of tours along Tien and Haurivers to the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh are luringholidaymakers.
As part of the Mekong sub-regiontourism development project, An Giang has sent a delegation to Cambodiato explore and promote tourism in this market, and discuss with localpartners plans to develop destinations. The annual flow of tourists viaborder gates was another issue discussed at the meeting./.
Statistics released by the General Statistics Office show the number ofCambodian holidaymakers to Vietnam has grown steadily during the firstsix months of the year, reaching 117,000 or a year-on-year rise of 36percent.
The tourism sector is expecting the numberof Cambodian tourists to the country in 2010 would surge by 30 percentfrom the figure of 118,000 last year.
Ho Chi MinhCity leads the nation in terms of attracting Cambodian visitors, makingup 60-70 percent of the total number. It is followed by the CentralHighlands province of Lam Dong, the Mekong Delta province of An Giangand the southern province of Binh Duong.
Industryinsiders said visa exemptions, high quality goods, attractive touristdestinations and convenient travel are the main attractions that draw anincreasing number of holidaymakers from Cambodia to Vietnam.
Transport firms such as Mai Linh and the Saigon PassengerTransportation Company (Sapaco) have highly valued the development oftourist transport services between the two neighbours. Every day, thereare almost 80 bus trips full of passengers on the route.
In a recent interview, the Secretary of State of the CambodianMinistry of Tourism, He So Somara, said Cambodians used to prefertravelling to Thailand, but now they choose Vietnam for their holidaysdue to short distance, the availability of border gates, similar foodsto Cambodia and low expenses.
The development ofdifferent tourism forms, including resort and health tourism, has alsobeen attracting more Cambodian visitors to Vietnam, he said.
Dr Phan Thanh Hai, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City-based Mediccentre, said an average of more than 100 Cambodian patients have come tothe centre for medical checks-up each day, accounting for 10 percent ofthe total number. Other hospitals such as Cho Ray, Traditional Medicineand Vu Anh have become popular destinations of Cambodians.
However, tourist firms said most of the tours from Cambodia arelaunched at the demands of Cambodian people following fairs showcasingVietnamese products and Vietnamese doctors’ trips to provide medicalchecks-up and treatment, while the tourism industry itself has yet toembark on any activities to tap this market.
Toseize this opportunity, Ho Chi Minh City is developing tours alongrivers into its major tourism products to woo more foreign visitors,including those from Cambodia. A number of tours along Tien and Haurivers to the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh are luringholidaymakers.
As part of the Mekong sub-regiontourism development project, An Giang has sent a delegation to Cambodiato explore and promote tourism in this market, and discuss with localpartners plans to develop destinations. The annual flow of tourists viaborder gates was another issue discussed at the meeting./.
