The wondrous world of Angkor Wat – the Hindu-Buddhist temple which is considered as the largest religious structure in the world, is now just a flight away (almost) for Indians. Visited by 6.6 million visitors in 2019, the last full year of travel, it has not really been on the radar of the average Indian tourist due to both a lack of awareness as well as no direct flights to Cambodia.
The latter situation is about to be remedied come 16 June, when Cambodia Angkor Air, is set to launch flights between Delhi and Phnom Penh. Initially the plan is to have flight K6760/K6761 four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).
This groundbreaking service marks the first direct connection between these two nations, connecting India to yet another south-east Asian nation. Significantly, the airline already has plans to open new routes connecting Phnom Penh to other cities in India soon, as well as a direct flight connecting Delhi to Siem Reap, the airport catering to Angkor Wat, says Eng Molina, the airline’s chief commercial officer. “The Indian outbound tourism market is growing rapidly,” he says, adding that the airline aims to cater to Indians looking to explore new destinations such as Cambodia.
“Our future plans include increasing frequency to daily flights on the Phnom Penh-Delhi route. We also see potential in expanding direct service to other Indian cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata,” he adds, estimating the initial load factor for the summer schedule to average out at about 70 per cent. He also says the airline, which is the national flag carrier of the nation, is exploring codeshare with Indian airlines.
Bilateral ties
While the two nations have ancient connections, with Angkor often credited as the largest Hindu temple globally, Cambodia is seeking to boost ties by marking a ‘Cambodia-India Cultural Tourism Year’ in 2024. Kuong Koy, Cambodia’s Ambassador to India, says direct flights will aid Indian entrepreneurs looking to invest in Cambodia. He says that while the number of Indians visiting Cambodia was 75,000 people pre-pandemic, in 2021 the number fell to 45,000.
Kuong expresses optimism that the launch of the flight will lead to a doubling of tourist flows between the two nations annually. “More people from Cambodia are seeking to come to India for medical treatment as the cost of treatment in India is comparatively less when compared to the neighbouring countries,” he points out. He also points to the popularity of the Buddhist circuit amongst Cambodians.
Seila Hul, Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Tourism, Cambodia, says recently there has been a significant increase in the number of Indians visiting Cambodia. Chhay Sivlin, president, Cambodia Tourism Association, says the association is working on tour packages. “At present, Angkor Wat (in Siem Reap) is very popular among Indians visiting Cambodia,” she says. “However, we see potential in promoting our other cultural heritage sites like Temple of Preah Vihear (dedicated to Hindu deity Shiva), besides mangrove forest, river cruises, and bird-watching sites like Prek Toal. Our focus is on both leisure and MICE segments.”
Eng estimates the price of an economy return fare would be about R23,000, including taxes. To sweeten the deal, Cambodia Angkor Air says it will offer special promotional fare for travellers booking tickets on this route.
SUMAN TARAFDAR
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