The Wonder

By Sok Lak

Myanmar Airway International (MAI)’s plane touched down at Cambodia’s Phnom Penh Airport at 12.50am on November 2, to connect Cambodia’s Phnom Penh and Myanmar’s Yangon as it is first flight service to boost tourism industry between the countries and facilitate the air passengers. A MAI Plane contains eight businesses and 149 economic seats under welcoming ceremony from tourism ministry of Cambodia.

H.E. So Mara (right)

Actually, The MAI already operated direct flights from Myanmar to Cambodia through the way from Yangon to Siem Reap in February this year. After increasing number of passengers, both sides urged to have the flights between Phnom Penh and Yangon which will operate twice a week on Wednesday and Saturday with Airbus 320 aircraft.

Speaking the ceremony, H.E. So Mara, Secretary of State of Ministry of Tourism, said that the new airline of Myanmar, MAI served as a direct fight to connect Myanmar’s capital, Yangon to Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh and to Siem Reap. “The flight connection shows close connection between the two countries and it promote the tourism industry for the two countries.” He said. “This connection will add more potential for Cambodia and Myanmar to exchange on tourism, economy, and Culture,” he said.

For 10 month of this year, there were 3,000 tourists from Myanmar coming to visit the country. “It is a small number as it is the beginning.

But if we see the percentage, it is highly increased about 74 percent if comparing to last year in the same period and it will rapidly increase further because many Cambodians want to travel Myanmar’s tourism resorts. Businesspeople could expand their trade,” H.E. So Mara added.

Beside Philippine and Indonesia, all ASEAN countries already have direct fly to Cambodia, He mentioned.

Mr.Win Phone Nyun, Assistant General Manager of MAI, said that since the airway operated its flight in Siem Reap province, the company set plan to operate in Phnom Penh. In the next six month, the company will seek for new destination in Cambodia.

“As the good relationship between Cambodia and Myanmar’s government, we could expand flights.” He said, adding that this time is highseason for passengers to Cambodia.

“I believe that the company can operate successfully and get more passengers,” he stressed.

He added: MAI flies to Singapore, Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, China’s Guangzhou, and Thailand’s Bangkok and it planned to expand its flights to India’s Gaya, Korea’s Seoul, and Japan’s Tokyo.

Both countries is in ACMECS region and they are on the move to use one single visa.

To increase tourists in region, ASEAN countries set up many strategies to boost tourism among them like the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan (ATSP) 2011-2015. The governments expect that it will contribute economic integration in region and to contribute creating ASEAN community in 2015. To expand its flight in region, it will facilitate the tourists to see the region as the ASEAN want to be a tourism destination in the world.

Previously, ASEAN tourism said: In 2010, around 73 million tourists from intra-ASEAN travel visited ASEAN countries and in 2009, there were about 65 million tourists.

Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, November 6-12, 2011, Vol. 5, Issue 45, Page 9