Cambodia’s Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport opened October 2023
to much fanfare. The Government proudly announced the airport as the
gateway to one of the country’s most historic cities and hopes to boost
tourism and the economy with its opening.
Chhay Sivlin, president of Cambodia Association of Travel Agents,
speaking during a media briefing at the recent ASEAN Tourism Forum 2024
in Laos, said, “We have been curating a lot of activities in and around
Siem Reap to create more buzz for visitors. Recently we had a writing
contest on the grounds of Angkor to promote Khmer literature.”
In addition, the launch of ‘Visit Siem Reap 2024’ was announced by
Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Manet, with the hope of reinventing the
arteries of the city. Siem Reap was the worst affected province in
Cambodia during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport has a capacity to handle 7 million passengers per year, an increase of about 40%.
By 2040, capacity will be expanded to accommodate 12 million passengers annually.
Down south, the construction of the new Techo International Airport
(TIA) in Phnom Penh is 20% completed and is targeted to be fully
operational by end 2025. The development of TIA is aimed at catering to
Cambodia’s gradually recovering tourism sector.