BY HOEM SEIHA
Khmer beaches in one of the coastal province, namely Sihahoukville, have an enormous potential for the annual influx of millions of foreign visitors by the coming decades not to mention Angkor Wat Complex in Siem Reap.
Few examples of the developing beaches are Ream Beach, Independence Beach, Occheteal Beach and private Sokha Beach, all of which located in western region of Sihanoukville. These few sample beaches draw enormous amount of money from foreign tourists annually.
In addition to these beaches, a couple of beautiful bays and beaches located in an island of Sihanoukville, that is, Koh Rong island have also high prospect of attracting thousands of foreign tourists to spend their money there, when the island is well developed.
According to a VOA Khmer Original report from Sihanoukville on November 12, 2008 by Vohar Cheat, though nowadays only a handful of tourists visit the island each day, a Phnom Penh developer hopes to bring $ 2 billion in infra-structure to develop Koh Rong island and this development project is an ideal for high potential tourists to come to visit once the project is completed.
Jacov Montross, a business and finance manager of Royal Group, said the company plans for construction, sewage systems, air and sea ports, and clean water, electricity, and village infra-structure first, before hotels, casinos, and other tourism facilities and resorts are to be built.
However, the project will take long time to be completed. Montress said that the infrastructure alone could take up to 20 years to finish, after which tourism facilities and resorts such as hotels, casinos, golf course, and international airport could take place.
Once the island is developed, Koh Rong island will look like or can be similar to other prominent islands of Thailand such as Pattaya and some other islands of other countries of the rest of the world such as Somatra.
That will be the time for Cambodia to enjoy its economy as a golden age emerges during the growth of tourism industry in Sihanukville thanks to the presence of the island along with other developing and frequently-visited beaches.
In the present time, even though a great number of foreign tourists are attracted mainly by Angkor Wat, at least some will drop a visit or spend the rest of their holiday on one of the prominent beaches in Sihanoukville, and by the time the project for the island is accomplished, a considerable number of foreign tourists will direct towards Sihanukville after having visited the main destination, Angkor Wat Complex in Siem Reap.
