Outbound tourists increase during Lunar New Year

The number of Cambodians travelling overseas increased significantly during the three-day Chinese festival this year compared to the same period last year, said tourism industry insiders, attributing the rising trend to better living conditions as a result of strong economic growth. Thourn Sinan, managing director of B2B Cambodia Travel and Tours, said his company saw 50% increase in outbound Cambodian tourists during the Chinese New Year, adding that most traveled to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand because they could afford the average five-day package trip. Meanwhile, Lav Heng, president of VLK Royal Tourism, said bookings at his company rose 20% compared to the same period last year. According the Ministry of Tourism data, the number of Cambodian traveling overseas as tourists increased to more than 1.3 million in 2016, up 19% compared to the previous year. (Source: Khmer Times)