Diethelm Travel, a Swiss-owned tour agency, officially opened its Phnom Penh office

on Oct. 21. The Bangkok-based travel agency is Thailand's leading inbound tour operator,

last year accommodating more than 135,000 visitors to the Land of Smiles.

Luzi Matzig, Diethelm's general manager in Bangkok, highlighted the need for Cambodia

to learn from Thailand's environmental mistakes while planning for expanded tourism.

"Let's try to implement those rules and laws to protect the environment in Cambodia,"

Matzig said. He pointed to Pattaya, Thailand as an example of uncontrolled tourist

development causing severe environmental problems. This could be avoided here if

Cambodia were to act appropriately, he said.

Diethelm's Phnom Penh office is a reflection of the tour agency's confidence in the

growth potential of the tourism industry in Cambodia.

"We believe Cambodia has a very grand future in tourism and we would like to

be part of it," Matzig said.

Diethelm's office at No. 8 Lenin Blvd., near the Directorate of Tourism, follows

the establishment an office in Vientiane, Laos in September, 1991. Future plans include

opening of an office in Siem Reap in March 1993, as well as an office in Ho Chi Minh

City in the near future.