Cambodia airports set to expand as tourist numbers increase

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A new terminal is set to open at Cambodia's Siem Reap Airport in 2006, in response to anticipated growth in tourism to the country

This year is Tourism Year in Cambodia, and the country's government is working hard to grow the tourist industry. A new international terminal opened on 16,000sq m at Phnom Penh Airport in November 2002, set to handle between 1.5 and 2m passengers a year.

The concessions for the main Cambodian airports - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap - are owned by Société Concessionaire de l'Aeroport (SCA - a joint venture between French Groupe Vinci and Malaysian/Cambodian Muhhibah Masteron Cambodia). SCA appointed Cambodia Airport Management Services (CAMS), a joint venture between Aéroports de Paris and Malaysia Airports Berhad, to run the operations at both airports, and the operator and investor are now working together to develop facilities.

CAMS general manager Denis Leluc said the duty-free retail and food and beverage concessions have already been allocated for the new terminal. Weitnauer and Select Service Partner were awarded the respective contracts for Phnom Penh last year, as well as for the future terminal at Siem Reap, and have since requested to start in the existing terminal at Siem Reap.

Weitnauer, which is currently waiting for the licence to operate so that it can begin trading in earnest, has opened a Cambodian handicraft souvenir shop at Phnom Pehn in association with Cambodian company Les Artisans d'Angkor. The partners are also set to open a 180sq m (1,937 sq ft) shop in Siem Reap airport this June. "The agreement between Weitnauer and the Artisans D'Angkok for the souvenir shop is a good example of how an international company working with a local company can feed passengers expectations," Leluc said. "The shop has proved to be very successful in many ways, as it showcases good quality handicraft products in an attractive manner."

Leluc concluded: "The large amount of investment made by SCA in the country is proof of our confidence in its future development. Cambodia has huge potential, both in terms of tourism and business passengers. The political stability of these last years make this country safe and attractive for both categories of passengers."