Ho Chi Minh City (VNS/VNA)🐠 - Vietnam is seeking toattract high-end tourists from Cambodia, which is rapidly emerging as apromising source of visitors.

With its proximity, Cambodiahas become a significant market for Vietnam, travel industry insiders said. Itwas among the top 10 markets in the first half of this year, with arrivalssurging by 338% from the same period in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In the past a majority ofCambodian tourists visited Vietnam for medical treatment, but the pandemic hasupended travel trends. But now there is an increase in weekend touristsvisiting border areas, leisure travelers and those seeking longer experiences. Their significant purchasingpower is one of the key factors contributing to their interest in Vietnam. Vietnam’s convenient geographicallocation, beautiful coastlines and attractive cuisine are among the factorsthat make the country appealing to Cambodian tourists. Improved transportationnetworks, including direct flights and well-connected roads, have madetravelling from Cambodia to Vietnam easier than ever before. Vietravel, a tourism company,has witnessed a 10% growth in the number of package tourists from Cambodia inthe first five months compared to the same period in 2019. To capitalise on the potentialof Cambodian tourists, the company plans to develop combined tours in Tay Ninh,a province located near the border. These tours will include resort tourism,medical tourism and religious tourism. It is also exploring thepossibility of starting flights between major Cambodian cities and key tourismdestinations in Vietnam. Tran Quoc Thinh, director ofTay Ninh province’s Tourism Promotion Centre, said Cambodian tourists primarilyarrive through border gates due to the low travel costs and convenient busservices. While there are opportunitiesto attract more Cambodian tourists, there are some challenges that need to beaddressed, according to experts. The frequency of flightsbetween Cambodia and Vietnamese tourism destinations is currently limited andnot fully utilised by many airlines. Tourism products for Cambodian visitorsneed to be diversified further. Furthermore, promotion and marketing effortstargeted at the Cambodian market remain limited. To address these challengesand attract more Cambodian tourists, Thinh said promotion programmes had beenorganised in Tay Ninh province./.