The Governor of Kampot Province is committed to making Kampot an attractive tourist destination for national and international tourists. The provincial administration has many plans to promote tourism in the province.
The provincial governor also requested that the professional officers and authorities, especially operators and tour operators, participate in maintaining the dignity and honour of the province through good hospitality, clean resorts, and reliable services.
Speaking at the meeting between the provincial administration and the private sector and tour operators in Kampot province at the Bokor Conference Hall, Kampot province, on May 14, Mao Thonin, Governor of Kampot, said that based on the priority policy of the Royal Government and based on the potential of Kampot, the provincial administration will make tourism a core sector to support the economy of the people.
The provincial administration has continued to launch various development projects to promote tourism and attract more national and international tourists to Kampot.
The Governor is committed to making Kampot an attractive tourist destination for national and international tourists, especially becoming the most prominent coastal province (what other provinces have, Kampot has, but what Kampot has, other provinces do not).
Thonin requested the professional authorities, especially the tour operators, to maintain good hospitality, clean resorts, and reliable services, especially at a reasonable price with no price increase, and be honest in sales to gain the trust of tourists who come to relax in the province.
During the meeting, Thonin also addressed the requests and suggestions of tour operators that they have been facing in order to improve the work of providing tourism services. In addition, he also presented the vision and development projects of many other tourism sectors, such as the establishment of recreational services along the canals, the establishment of a floating market, and the project to create a beautiful beach.
In the 2024 edition of the Skytrax World Airport Awards, based on customer satisfaction surveys, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) and Narita International Airport were ranked 4th and 5th respectively.
The competition for the top spot has been dominated by Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, and Changi International Airport in Singapore in recent years. However, this year saw a change in the top two positions, with Doha overtaking Singapore, which had previously held the top spot 12 times.
Asian airports performed well, with Incheon International Airport in South Korea ranked 3rd. Incheon was also named the most family-friendly airport.
On the other hand, U.S. airports did not make it into the top ranks once again, with the highest-ranking Seattle-Tacoma International Airport falling six places from last year to 24th.
European airports continued to perform well, with Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (France), Munich Airport (Germany), Zurich Airport (Switzerland), and Istanbul Airport (Turkey) all making it into the top 10.
The world airport rankings for 2024 are as follows:
Hamad International Airport (Qatar)
Changi International Airport (Singapore)
Incheon International Airport (South Korea)
Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) (Japan)
Narita International Airport (Japan)
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (France)
Dubai International Airport (United Arab Emirates)
Recently, the singer Beyoncé posted videos and photos on her Instagram from her visit to Japan, which have generated significant buzz. She was seen wearing a leather fringe jacket and a cowboy hat, riding on a decorated truck (known as "Dekotora"), a sight that has caught the attention of her fans. This post appears to be part of the promotion for her latest album "Cowboy Carter."
According to the posts, Beyoncé thoroughly enjoyed the truck, climbing on its roof and striking poses at the front, conveying her enjoyment of the experience. Additionally, she was captured shopping at a Seven-Eleven, a moment that shows her fondness for Japanese culture.
Regarding styling, Beyoncé combined a Balmain leather fringe blazer with Stella McCartney baggy trousers, patent Western boots, and a large cowboy hat, showcasing a perfect "Cowboy Core" style. This look was styled by Shiona Turini.
The Japanese manga character "Chiikawa" has gained explosive popularity among young people in China.
MINISO, a major Chinese lifestyle retail chain that operates the "MINISO" brand, developed character merchandise such as plush toys in collaboration with Chiikawa. When they launched pop-up stores in shopping malls in Shanghai and Beijing, they attracted far more fans than expected.
According to MINISO, the first pop-up store, which opened in Joy City in the Jing'an District of Shanghai on March 29, achieved sales exceeding 8 million yuan (approximately 167.52 million yen) in just three days. The average spend per customer was over 1,000 yuan (approximately 2,941 yen).
On April 1, additional pop-up stores opened in Joy City in the Chaoyang District of Beijing and Hopson One in the Yangpu District of Shanghai, where long lines of fans seeking Chiikawa merchandise formed.
To prevent accidents and other incidents, MINISO limited the number of people in the pop-up stores to 60 at a time and restricted shopping time to 10–15 minutes. According to signs in front of the stores, those wishing to enter needed to reserve through a smartphone app by 8 PM the previous day and also queue up on the day.
MINISO plans to sell Chiikawa collaboration products not only in pop-up stores but also throughout its chain stores across China.
Chiikawa, which was animated for Japanese TV in 2022, sparked a boom among anime fans in China towards the end of 2023.
Until this collaboration with MINISO, no one in China had acquired the domestic rights to use the Chiikawa character. As a result, Chinese fans had been paying high fees to Japanese purchasing agents to import Chiikawa goods personally.
Based on a licensing agreement with Chiikawa’s rights management company, MINISO was able to develop and sell original merchandise for the Chinese market, significantly reducing prices compared to personal imports. This reduction in cost has greatly contributed to the overwhelming turnout at the pop-up stores.
Meanwhile, there has been a surge in reselling the products from the pop-up stores at high prices. A Caixin journalist searching China's largest flea market app, Xianyu, found Chiikawa plush toys in pajamas being traded for about 110 to 140 yuan, nearly double the original price of 69.9 yuan.
Recently, MINISO has been rapidly launching collaboration products with popular characters both inside and outside China. This collaboration with Chiikawa appears to be an exceptionally successful venture among these efforts.
However, acquiring the rights to popular characters also leads to increased costs. According to MINISO's disclosures, the expenses related to sales and distribution, including intellectual property licensing fees, for the second half of 2023 (July to December) totaled 1.322 billion yuan, a 70% increase over the same period the previous year.
Tokyo DisneySea is set to open the eagerly awaited new area "Fantasy Springs" on June 6, 2024. This new expansion area is based on the theme "A World of Disney Fantasy Led by a Magical Spring," and consists of three unique zones themed after the Disney movies "Frozen," "Tangled," and "Peter Pan."
Frozen Kingdom: Themed after "Frozen," this area allows visitors to experience the enchanting winter landscapes and magic portrayed in the film.
Rapunzel's Forest: Based on "Tangled," this area offers attractions themed around Rapunzel's adventures and her beautiful hair.
Neverland from Peter Pan: Set in the Isle of Neverland, this area lets visitors embark on a journey through the mysterious world of "Peter Pan."
Additionally, the "Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs Hotel" will also debut as part of this new area, providing guests with an even deeper experience of Disney movie magic.
At the entrance of the area, "Fantasy Springs Entryway," there is a "Magical Spring" composed of rocks shaped like Disney characters including Peter Pan, Anna and Elsa, and Rapunzel, enchanting all who visit. This spring serves as an artistic representation of the stories woven by each character, enhancing the overall fantasy feel of the area.
Get ready to experience a new world of Disney magic in the summer of 2024.
តំបន់ថ្មីរបស់ Tokyo DisneySea គឺ "Fantasy Springs" ដែលផ្អែកលើប្រធានបទ "ពិភពនៃការចម្លងផ្ទាល់នឹងរឿងបុរាណដឹកនាំដោយប្រភពទឹកវេទមន្ត" និងមានបីតំបន់ប្លែកៗដែលមានរចនាបថតាមរឿងភាគ Disney ដូចជា "Frozen," "Tangled," និង "Peter Pan"។
PHNOM PENH – Foreign currency exchange company Travelex has begun trading riel at Tokyo Haneda Airport after the first launch succeeded at Changi Airport in Singapore. In partnership with the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), the initiative aims to promote the riel’s use in international markets.
The exchange of the riel at Japan's International Airport makes it easier for Japanese tourists visiting Cambodia to change their yen for riel and especially to encourage more international tourists to visit Cambodia.
The inclusion of the riel on the Tokyo trading charts increases confidence in the use of the riel and enables the NBC to intervene in the exchange market to stabilize the riel. In addition, the greater use of the riel stabilizes the Cambodian economy and mobilizes more reserves.
Hong Vanak, director of international economics at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said tourists will have the convenience of exchanging the currency before coming to Cambodia.
“Tourists won't have a long way to access the exchange at the banks or anywhere else. They can have riel banknotes as soon as they arrive,” he said.
NBC and Travelex will expand the initiative in other countries.
Cambodia witnessed an unprecedented rise in tourist visits to various resorts and destinations in the four days of the Khmer New Year (KNY) holidays from April 13 to 16, according to a report from the Ministry of Tourism.
The report said of the total tourists, 110,320 were foreign tourists.
Coastal provinces Kep, Kampot, Preah Sihanouk, and Koh Kong received some 2.2 million, while cultural provinces Kampong Thom, Oddar Meanchey, Preah Vihear and Siem Reap received 1.65 million tourists.
The northern provinces including Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Palin and Pursat recorded 3.54 million visits while Kampong Cham province alone received the most visitors 5.34 million.
Kampong Speu and Prey Veng provinces recorded 2.1 million and 2.29 million, respectively, read the report.
The ministry said in the report that the four-day Khmer New Year holiday allowed people to visit more resorts in provinces, resulting in a sharp rise in tourist footfalls.
The ministry’s Secretary of State and spokesman Top Sopheak noted that the number of domestic and international tourists during the holidays went beyond the ministry’s prediction and even surpassed the pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels.
The ministry concluded that the unprecedented number of visitors during the KNY was due to the organisation of a variety of entertainment events – Sankranta celebrations – in each province and also because of the peace prevailing in the country that allowed more people to travel nationwide, he said.
“This domestic tourist movement during the long holiday has created huge economic benefits to the country,” Sopheak told Khmer Times.
Chhay Sivlin, President of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said the increase in the number of domestic visitors helped the national economy as a whole.
“This holiday period played a big part in Cambodia’s tourism development,” she said.
“When people travel, they need services such as transportation, accommodation, food and other services, which help the tourism sector domestically,” she said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Hun Manet on Wednesday sent a message congratulating officials for the successful celebration of the Khmer New Year with joy, dignity, safety and national pride.
“The shade of peace has provided an opportunity for all Cambodians to live together with virtue and unity in the beloved land of Angkor and also in happiness, honour and dignity,” the Prime Minister
Phnom Penh Capital Administration officials said that in the six days, from April 12 to 17, more than 80,000 workers and people took free buses in Phnom Penh to their hometowns in the provinces on the occasion of the Khmer New Year.
Met Measpheakdey, spokesman for the Phnom Penh Municipal Administration, said this morning, April 18, that the number of bus passengers is more than 80,000 during the New Year, an increase of more than 20,000 people, equivalent to 35% compared to the transport during the traditional New Year 2023.
There are two provinces with the highest number of people taking the bus, including Siem Reap and Battambang, of which Siem Reap has about 25,000 people and Battambang has more than 10,000 people.
The spokesman added that during the transport of passengers during the New Year, there are no significant problems; that is, the transport runs smoothly and safely.
At the same time, people from all walks of life also congratulated and thanked Prime Minister Hun Manet, as well as the Phnom Penh Capital Administration, for continuing to provide free buses to their hometowns in the provinces on the occasion of this Khmer New Year.
In order to alleviate the expenses of the people who have to travel to their hometowns to reunite with their families on the occasion of the Khmer New Year this year, the Phnom Penh Capital Administration has released 455 buses to transport people for free for 6 days from April 12 to 17.
The new commercial facility "Tokyu Plaza Harajuku 'Harakado'" is set to open on April 17th at the "Jingumae" intersection, located midway between Harajuku and Omotesando. This site occupies about 3,000 square meters at the intersection of Meiji Street and Omotesando. The opposite facility, "Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku," will be renamed "Tokyu Plaza 'Omokado'" in conjunction with the opening of 'Harakado'. This renaming aims to enhance the appeal of the Jingumae intersection by coordinating the two 'Kado(Corner)' facilities, 'Harakado' and 'Omokado'. 'Harakado' features a verdant multi-story rooftop space, positioning it as a new cultural creation hub that leverages the historical significance of the location. Based on the history of the "Harajuku Central Apartment" in the 1960s as a gathering place for creators, it is designed under the concept of a "new cultural creation hub for creators". Inside, the facility hosts stores from both domestic and international new business formats, a new bathhouse project by a long-standing public bath in Koenji, a members-only creative lounge, and a food floor aimed at reflecting the local food culture of Harajuku across nine floors from the basement to the rooftop terrace, housing 75 stores. This new facility aims to offer innovative experiences and add new value for its visitors by focusing on 'sensitive people, things, and events' and 'experiences'.
Singer Ano has made headlines with her appearance on a Japanese travel variety show, revisiting Cambodia. She returned to the nation where she had previously conducted a photoshoot for her solo photo book five years ago. During her visit, she searched for cute items in markets, enjoyed the view from a hot air balloon, and visited the World Heritage site of Angkor Wat. Additionally, she played the acoustic guitar and sang on a boat in Tonle Sap Lake, spending joyful time with local children.
Ano wore her own clothes during her appearance, highlighting a brightly colored dress she bought locally as her favorite. Previously a member of the idol group "You'll Melt More!", she experienced difficulties with interpersonal relationships. Her journey to Cambodia held significant meaning, renewing her determination to live fully through playful interactions with children. She revealed that this trip allowed her to laugh genuinely and fostered a special affection for Cambodia.
