Abstract: The Cambodian tourism has major potential for creating jobs, earning foreign exchange, generating incomes and augmenting government revenues. In the short and medium terms, the major centres of tourist destination were perceived as being Phnom Penh, Siem Reap (Angkor), Battambang province and the Sihanoukville coastal region and, in the long term, with some of the more remote parts of the country being opened up for ecotourism and special interests.
Battambang, located in northwestern Cambodia, contains the second most populous city in the country after Phnom Penh. The provincial capital, also Battambang, has always been a popular destination for its nearby ancient temples, French colonial architecture, and Buddhist shrines. Sitting on the Sangker River just south west of the Tonle Sap Lake, Battambang town is at the heart of Cambodia's 'rice bowl', and it maintains an untouched, bucolic feel. The streets are filled with remarkably well-preserved French colonial buildings alongside traditional Cambodian houses. The nearby countryside harbors old pagodas, Angkorian era ruins, caves, waterfalls, and Khmer Rouge period killing fields. Places of interest include Phnom Sampeu, a hill with caves of Buddha statues; the 12th Century Prasat Snung, Wat Banan, an Angkorian temple now occupied as a Buddhist shrine; Wat Baydamram where thousands of fruit bats reside, and Wat Ek Phnom.
As the consequences of the research in tourism potential in Battambang province we found that, most of the visitors beside local people are Vietnamese, Thai and Japanese and 54% of them are male among 100% with 125 frequencies. Similarly, many of national and international tourists hold bachelor’s degree and high school student due to our survey, and we also found that a lot of them are self-employ. On came the interest of travellers, so in the data of the survey we can figure out that tourists who visited Battambang province mostly with tour package and family trip by using bus or own vehicle with the main purpose of leisure and business in the intention on cultural places. In addition, travellers spent around four days for visiting the province and prefer hotel to guesthouse.
In order to improve more on tourism sector government plays a really important role to develop, improve and enhance the tourism sector such as develop the infrastructure, human resource, promote and advertise the tourism service, health care improvement, motivate people to focus more on tourism. Moreover, local people and tourist are also concern in this improvement by taking of environment with waste management system, local people should tell or share their own knowledge to tourist who did not follow the instruction of the resorts, local people should join the campaign with the government in order to follow the slogan of “clean city, clean resort, good service”. In conclusion, tourism sector can be developed and improved depends on the participation from all of the institutions including people from all levels because tourism sector is the part of system, which require intrapersonal communication.
Keywords: potential, tourism, tourist destination, most popular, intention, tour package.
Title: A Study of Tourism Potential in Battambang Province, Cambodia
Author: Mr. Mun Bora, Dr. Vijit Supinit
International Journal of Thesis Projects and Dissertations (IJTPD)
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