PhnomPenh (VNA) – Cambodia welcomed over 800,000 domestic and foreign holiday-makersduring the 2018 Lunar New Year, up 93 percent against the same periodlast year.
Accordingto the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism, the provinces of Siem Reap, Kampot, PreahSihanouk and Battambang were the most attractive destinations for visitors.
Hotels and restaurants in Siem Reap, which boasts the famed Angkor Wat complex, were full of tourists in the period. The province accommodated over 90,000 visitors,a year-on-year increase of 13 percent.
Meanwhile, Kampot which is famous for marine tourism saw 130,000 touristarrivals, or a yearly increase of 41 percent, greatly contributing to the localeconomic growth.
Kampotis home to 17 tourism sites, with Sre Ambel tourism site, pepper eco-tourismarea and Kampong Bai forest being the most attractions.
The ministry attributed the outcomes to improvements in the infrastructure system, service quality and as well as efforts to ensure security and politicalstability.
Cambodia has 647 hotels of 36,236 rooms, 1,996 guesthouses of 28,885 rooms, 688adult entertainment centres, and 1,844 restaurants in total.
The country targets to welcome about 7 million - 8 million arrivals by2020.-VNA
Lunar New Year iscelebrated in many Asian countries, like Vietnam and China. This year, it fell fromFebruary 15 to 18. - VNA
General Yoeung Sokhon on February 2 led a delegation of Military Zone 3 of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces to pay a Tet (lunar New Year) visit to the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang.
The Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association has held a lot of activities in 2017 to contribute to tightening the friendship and solidarity between the two nations.
Ho Chi Minh City is willing to continue taking measures to enhance its friendship and connection with Cambodian localities in order to further develop the Vietnam-Cambodia relations.
Twelve Vietnamese organisations and individuals were conferred with Cambodia’s friendship order at a ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh on February 7 by Vietnam’s Defence Ministry and a working group of the Cambodian Government.
A delegation from Cambodia’s Svay Rieng and Pray Veng provinces visited the southern province of Long An on February 9 to extend greetings to local Party Committee, authorities and people on the occasion of Lunar New Year.
The DES Ministry will seek cooperation from social media platforms to prevent the spread of fake news and monitor accounts related to such activities, he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the newly established Anti-Fake News Centre (AFNC).
The Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking identified the US tariff reduction as a significant driver behind the improved economic outlook for Thailand.
Financial institutions and financial technology (fintech) players are intensifying their focus on expanding across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), adopting tailored strategies to strengthen their presence in the region’s digital financial services landscape.
Featuring a permanent exhibition area, the ASEAN Hall will function both as a cultural showcase and as a dynamic venue for ASEAN-related events and programmes. Its inauguration on ASEAN Day added symbolic weight, marking a fresh milestone in ASEAN–RoK relations.
Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce and rice exporters are devising strategic plans to boost rice exports amid global market fluctuations, focusing on key markets and adjusting output.
The focus of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October will be on strengthening economic relations through intra-regional trade and investment, as well as regional initiatives on energy networks and connectivity.
Indonesian Ambassador Rina P. Soemarno, who currently serves as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Prague, emphasised the spirit of regional solidarity and cooperation, and the importance of enhancing ASEAN–Czech Republic relations.
The Indonesian Government is determined to seize opportunities to enhance the competitiveness of national agricultural products, an official has said, adding that it always strives to promote exports at the highest possible level, based on a mutually beneficial foundation.
Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira has outlined a six-point strategy to promote innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and push for Thailand's removal from the US Trade Representative (USTR)’s special 301 Watch List regarding intellectual property rights protection among trading partners.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Israel Ly Duc Trung emphasised ASEAN’s central role in regional mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), highlighting its significant contribution to promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in Southeast Asia.
The consumer index of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), fell to 51.7 in July from 52.7 in the previous month. The sluggish economy and the trade war, as well as high living costs, continue to undermine confidence, the university said.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Istvan Jakab expressed his hope for further deepening Hungary’s ties with ASEAN countries and called for their support for Hungary’s accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The 30-storey tower crumbled seconds after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit neighbouring Myanmar on March 28. The partially built high-rise, meant to house the State Audit Office (SAO), was the only building in Thailand to collapse, killing 89 people on the site, mostly construction workers.
Indonesia’s waste generation is projected to exceed 50 million tonnes in 2025. Of the total, more than 20 million tonnes could potentially enter the ocean through rivers, coastal areas, small islands, ports, and marine activities, and thereby, pose a risk to coastal ecosystems and marine biota.
Indonesia is accelerating plans to increase lithium imports, particularly from Australia, in a bid to fill gaps in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain and realise its ambition of becoming a global EV manufacturing hub.
Malaysia’s gross expenditure on R&D (GERD) reached 1.01% of gross domestic product in 2022, a notable increase, with more than 51% contributed by the industry sector. The country is targeting GERD to reach 2.5% by 2030, in line with the national goal of transforming into a high-technology nation.
The facility was established in response to a growing shift in the Filipino labour force from the Middle East to Japan, where workers are seeking safer working environments.
In the latest Indonesia-US trade agreement in July, the US administration agreed to reduce the reciprocal tariff, which was initially set at 32% by US President Donald Trump last April, to 19%.
Real estate agency ERA Singapore estimated that there are 2,703 condo developments in Singapore today, of which 836 or 31% are at least 30 years old. In 10 years, this number is expected to climb to 1,160, assuming none is sold en bloc.
A tourism site in Cambodia (Source: VNA) 
