Siem Reap to welcome $27mln Cambodia-China Cultural Park

The Council for the Development of Cambodia, a government agency that oversees investment, last week approved a large-scale tourism project in Siem Reap.

Called ‘Cambodia-China Cultural Park,’ the project will be developed by Angkor International Culture Investment & Development (Cambodia) Co., Ltd with a capital of $27.5 million.

According to CDC, the project will be developed in Sla Kram commune in Siem Reap, home to the Angkor Archaeological Park.

No timeframe for the project’s development has been revealed.

Minister of Tourism Thong Khon recently urged the creation of new tourism products, as well as the expansion of existing ones, in Siem Reap.

The ministry called on industry players to cooperate to establish new tourism products that will attract more tourists and make them stay longer.

“We must create new tourism products. To this end, the government is studying the tourism master plan for Siem Reap province,” Mr Khon said.

“We have identified new potential tourism products, particularly in Kulen Mountain, the Tonle Sap area, and around the temples of Angkor,” he said.

Top Sopheak, Ministry of Tourism spokesman, told Khmer Times yesterday that the ministry welcomes new investment plans by the private sector.

“We welcome new projects by private companies, but ask these companies to ensure that they follow the local regulation and that their plans do not harm the local heritage and eco-system,” he said, adding that, “Conservation and development must go hand in hand.”

He highlighted the important role of the private sector “driving the development of the tourism industry.”

Sorn Seap, founder and CEO of Key Real Estate, told Khmer Times last week that laws prohibiting the development of high-rise buildings in Siem Reap make the province a less attractive investment destination.

“This means the opportunities and room for commercial developments in Siem Reap town are limited,” he noted.

The number of tickets sold at the Angkor Archaeological Park, the Kingdom’s most important tourist draw, saw an 8 percent drop from January to June, with just over 1,244,000 foreign tourists buying passes, according to Angkor Enterprises.

China continues to top the list of tourists by nationality in Siem Reap, followed by Korea and the United States. About 540,000 Chinese visited the province during the first half of the year.(This news came from Khmertimes.com)