• Society

Turkmenistan Wants Direct Flights to Cambodia

• By Teng Yalirozy
• August 15, 2023 5:10 PM

PHNOM PENH – Turkmenistan aims to be the first country in Central Asia to have direct flights with Cambodia’s new Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport, said the country’s Ambassador.

“The government of Turkmenistan intends to connect direct flights from its country to Siem Reap, a major tourist destination in ASEAN so that tourists from Turkmenistan and neighboring countries can visit Siem Reap, a heritage site of the world,” said Muhammetnyyaz Mashalov, appointed Ambassador to Cambodia, with a permanent residence in Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur.

Mashalov presented his letter of credence to King Norodom Sihamoni and met with Tourism Minister Thong Khon on Aug. 14 to discuss tourism cooperation.

Given the tourist potential of Cambodia, which comprises UNESCO sites, beaches, and eco-tourism destinations, the Turkmen side intends to improve ties with the Southeast Asian nation to increase the flow of reciprocal visitors.

Cambodia received 2.58 million international visitors in the first six months of 2023, according to data from the Tourism Ministry, and is expected to receive a total of around 5 million foreign visitors in the entire year.

Together, Cambodia’s three international airports – Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville – have direct flights to China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

In October, the nearly $900 million Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is set to be operational and will replace the current airport, which is however located closer to the city of Siem Reap and the Angkor archeological park.

The city’s new facility will be the largest airport in Cambodia, spreading over 1,700 hectares in the Soutr Nikum district of Siem Reap province, and will be able to accommodate up to 7 million passengers annually.

During his visit to Cambodia, Ambassador Mashalov will pay a visit to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat and the other temples of the sites, as this historical heritage is very famous and attracts tourists, he said.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon supported the tourism cooperation initiative and pledged to continue cooperation with Turkmenistan. He suggested working on a Memorandum of Understanding as a road map for carrying out action plans linked to tourist cooperation and as a powerful affirmation of all connections.

Mashalov also proposed to hold tourism fairs in Cambodia and in Turkmenistan to promote tourist destinations between the two countries to tour operators, as well as more national and international tourists.

Turkmenistan is one of the five countries in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. None of these countries have yet direct flights to Cambodia.

According to data from the ministry, 740 Kazakh, 190 Kyrgyz and 255 Uzbek tourists visited Cambodia in the first 6 months of the year. No data was available for Tajik and Turkmen tourists.