Cambodia enjoyed 3.2 million international tourist arrivals in January to September 2014, a year-on-year increase of 4.2%. There still exists the key challenge of creating spatial tourism to create a greater spread of tourists around the country. Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Wonders of the World, together with Siem Reap, continue to attract vast numbers.
Golf is a relatively new pastime in Cambodia but is developing fast. Until the mid 1990s golf was unheard of in the country, but with its entry into ASEAN and top Cambodian officials meeting on a regular basis with their contemporaries in the more developed golfing Asian nations – such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand – it was only a matter of time until the popularity of golf grew.
What more could a nation ask for as a golfing ‘ambassador’ than the Prime Minister himself – yes, Cambodia’s Premier, Hun Sen, is an avid golf player with a handicap of 15. Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s laid-back capital, has two full-scale 18-hole golf courses on its western outskirts.
