[PHNOM PENH POST]
THE scheduled arrival today of the first Air France flight to Phnom Penh
in more than 35 years represents the first sign Cambodia is finally
starting to establish itself as a long-haul destination in its own
right, a key aim of the tourism industry.
When Air France’s
Airbus A340-300 touches down in the capital today at about 2:30pm it
will become the first major European airline to operate scheduled
flights to Cambodia since the fall of the Khmer Rouge. And further
intercontinental connections could follow.
Recent reports of
talks between the government and Aeroflot point to possible flights to
Russia, while the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation recently started
talks with the United Kingdom and Turkey with the aim of setting up
direct routes.
The key to developing new intercontinental routes
will be whether airlines believe there is sufficient demand for
scheduled services to Cambodia.
In Europe this certainly seems
to be the case. In January, Europe was the fastest growing region as
arrivals climbed 22 percent on a year earlier, Ministry of Tourism data
showed. Over the same period, the number of Russian visitors more than
doubled suggesting there is huge potential for Aeroflot flights.
One
in every eight visitors to Cambodia now comes from Russia, the UK or
France, a sign of how important the European market has become for the
domestic tourism industry. The convenience of new, direct services to
these countries is therefore vital if Cambodia is to tap into the
fast-growing, high-spending European market.
Although Air France
has finally returned to Cambodia, the fact its new scheduled services go
through Bangkok is a reminder the country remains a spoke in world
aviation connecting to more prominent hubs such as the Thai capital and
Singapore. For Cambodia to really branch out its national carrier
Cambodia Angkor Air would have to develop services beyond Asia, a
possibility that appears some way off.
The Asia-Pacific region
still accounts for two-thirds of all visitors to Cambodia including the
top three destination countries, South Korea, Vietnam and China
respectively.
Of the four airlines set to begin new connections
to Cambodia during this year’s off-peak season, aside from Air France
the rest are all within Asia. Airport operator Societe Concessionaire
des Aeroports is scheduled to confirm flights by Tiger Airways to
Singapore and Skywings Airlines on a new triangular route connecting
Siem Reap, Seoul and Hanoi to add to Myanmar Airways International
flights that started in February.
For many intercontinental
airlines, connecting to Cambodia remains a leap of faith. But continued
strong visitor growth suggests some long-haul carriers are starting to
take the Kingdom seriously.
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