Cambodia is aiming for a four-fold increase in the number of Chinese tourists it attracts to the country by 2020, an official said at an ASEAN seminar for tourism.    

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The government expects 600,000 Chinese nationals to visit every year by 2015 and over 1 million by 2020, So Visothy, director of the marketing and promotion department at the Ministry of Tourism, said on Tuesday.

The Kingdom now attracts a quarter of a million Chinese visitors annually.

As part of the strategy, the government has pledged to encourage more direct flights and to invest in the promotion of the Chinese language.

So Visothy also promised more advertising for Cambodia under the theme “Kingdom of Wonder” in China and on the internet.

“We see China as the priority market,” he said. “China is very big, has a vast population and their economy is good.”

He added that the close relationship between the two governments made cooperation easy.

Matt Thompson, project director at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market, said that the expected jump in Chinese travellers in less than 10 years is achievable, but there is work to be done.

“Chinese travellers often expect to find on holiday the sort of services they can find at home. This includes Chinese speaking staff, Chinese breakfasts, newspapers, TV, even hotel rooms featuring lucky number eight and not unlucky number four,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anna Brown at [email protected]