The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) last week approved two Chinese-invested hotel projects in Sihanoukville worth $379 million, it said in a Facebook post.
The two five-star hotels by Xigang V-Continent International Investment Co Ltd and Hai Gang Grand Hotel Co Ltd have a combined total of 2,911 rooms, said the CDC.
Xigang V-Continent International Investment’s $226 million hotel, it said, will comprise 1,111 rooms and will be located in Sihanoukville’s Commune III while Hai Gang Grand Hotel’s $153 million investment will comprise 900 rooms and be located in Commune IV.
The CDC has not provided details of when the projects are scheduled to begin construction.
Preah Sihanouk provincial governor Kuoch Chamroeun told The Post on Thursday that he welcomed the projects. “I think the investors have studied the market and competition in the industry will help to greatly improve the province’s tourism sector,” he said.
He said the projects will attract foreign visitors to the province – not exclusively Chinese nationals.
Preah Sihanouk provincial Department of Tourism figures show that the province received more than 1.34 million visitors during the first half of this year – a 3.22 per cent year-on-year increase.
Local visitors numbered 950,000 during the period – a 6.26 per cent decrease year-on-year as international visitors amounted to 390,000, of which 160,000 were Chinese.
Cambodia Association of Travel Agents president Chhay Sivlin on Thursday said that despite the increase in hotels in Sihanoukville, there was still a shortage of rooms as Chinese investors rent entire hotels to operate casinos.
“Investing in hotels is a good thing for the tourism sector, but if Cambodia could diversify tourism destinations to the province’s islands, I think the province will need more investment in luxury hotels,” he said.
The department’s figures show that as of the first half of this year, 98 hotels currently operate in the province.
