New Siem Reap airport 'to increase Cambodia’s economy and tourism'
Cambodia was building its tourist industry before the coronavirus pandemic while never seriously challenging neighbouring Thailand.
More than five years ago two new international airports were authorised, of which one is the New Siem Reap International Airport, which will serve the country’s main tourist attraction – Angkor Wat. The existing airport does that but it is so close to the World Heritage Site that emissions and noise are having an impact on the Buddhist temples there.
Cambodia is now attempting to get back on track, with this and another new international airport for the capital, Phnom Penh, neither of which involves the existing operator, the French company VINCI. Instead, a Chinese investment house has been selected for the Siem Reap development.
The question is: can tourism be revived (COVID is still a major problem here); how soon; and can western tourists be attracted to Cambodia in greater numbers?