Monday, 01st August 2011 - The Official Opening Day of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace

Our Family of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Team

Our Front Office Team

Our Kitchen Team

Our Room Valet Team

Our Food & Beverage Team

Our Engineering Team

Our Finance Team

Our Concierge Team
Our Kainnora Spa Team

H.E Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism At the Official Opening of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa

SPEECH

H.E Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism

At the Official Opening of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace

Resort & SpaSiem Reap, August 1, 2011

• H.E Dr. Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister; Minister of Commerce
• H.E Dr. Sou Phirin, Governor of Siem Reap Province
• Mr. Jin Yuan, China’s Commercial Counselor to Cambodia
• Mr. Wang Wengcan, General Manager, China Huayou Group Corporation
• Mr. Ly Hong, Chairman of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa
• Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, ladies and gentlemen!

First of all, on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and myself, I have the great honor and pleasure to participate with Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, ladies and gentlemen in the auspicious official opening of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa in this enchanting morning.

Today, Siem Reap province is proud to welcome the new tourism facility of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa which is to be officially launched in the moment. Taking this opportunity, I would like to extend my sincere thanks and appreciations to Mr. Ly Hong, Chairman of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa, who has made significant efforts in investing on this luxury hotel bearing the famous brand name in the precious land of Siem Reap-Angkor.

- Senior Minister; Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, ladies and gentlemen

Tourism as a system is a priority sector which contributes to building up socio-economic development, job opportunities, income generation, improvement of livelihood and poverty reduction. Tourism is ia vital part of green economy since its revenue is directly integrated into national economic current taking part in enhancing GDP growth and stabilizing commercial balance. Following global economic crisis, economy has surged rapidly. In 2010, the world tourists were registered of around 935 million, an increase of 6.7%, in which Asia-Pacific, America, Europe, Middle East increased 13%, 8%, 3%, 6% and 14%, respectively. Tourism creates 230 million employments, equivalent to 7.6% of total global labor forces.

In 2010, ASEAN region received around 65 million tourists, an increase of around 12.5%, in which Intra-ASEAN travelers recorded around 28 million (shared 45%) while Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists surged 23% to 15 million.

Cambodia, under the sound and brilliant leadership of Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo HUN Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, tourism, known as “Culture and Nature Tourism", has been considered as one of the top 10 priority sectors in pushing up socio-economic development. Tourism, which is determined in the Rectangular Strategy of the Royal Government of Cambodia, is also considered as the “Green Gold" while rice is considered “White Gold".

In 2010, Cambodia’s domestic tourists were around 7.7 iinillion, an increase of around 8%; while international tourists were recorded around 2.5 million, an increase of 16%; in which tourists from Asia-Pacific were 1.7 million, shared around 67.70% of total arrivals (in which more than 800,000 from ASEAN of around 23.2%); Europe: 463.096 (around 19.51%); America: 182.850 (around 7.94%); other regions shared around 0.49%. Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, American, French, England, Thailand, Australian and Taiwanese tourists are the top 10 sourte markets of Cambodia. lt should be noted that, Russian and Indian tourists have be increasing remarkably.

Cambodia Tourism plays essential role in contributing to macro-economic stability and gains national revenue of around 1,700 million dollars, shared 12% of GDP in previous year whilst creating around 400,000 employments for Cambodian people.

- Senior Minister, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, ladies and gentlemen

Siem Reap-Angkor is the country’s main cultural-historical tourist destinations receiving international tourists around 1 million (shared around 60%) of total international tourists every year and domestic toprists of around l million.

Connectivity from this area to its peri-zones including PreahVihear temple area and Tonle Sap Biosphere zone and linkage to the coastal zones when our bay has been admitted as the fully-fledged member of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club and various eco-tourism areas around the country will surely make the well-known cultural-historical Siem Reap-Angkor become sophisticated.

According to statistical projection, Cambodia will receive around 8 million international tourists in 2020, in which Siem Reap-Angkor will obtain around 4 million (excluding domestic tourists). Therefore, thorough consideration on tourism development in this area, including Angkor area, Siem Reap city, and Tonle Sap area to develop this area in a responsible and sustainable manner is our pivotal strategy.

- Senior Minister, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, ladies and gentlemen

Accommodation service, particularly hotel is the leading service which plays core role in tourism industry.

The official opening of the new brand name of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa truly responses to the market trend, which contributes to upgrading hotel industry quality and essentially promoting Cambbdia to the international market.

I strongly hope that this new brand name will attract more international tourists, especially Chinese tourists to visit Siem Reap province as well as Cambodia while Siem Reap province as well as Cambodia have been seen of fast-growing development.

I would like to take advantage of this opportunity to praise the Angkor Palace Resort & Spa for being accredited as ASEAN Green Hotel Standard from ASEAN Hotel Association and also appeal that the management of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa to further makes greater effort in sustaining this standard so that it can contribute to protecting enviromnentand building up Siem Reap-Angkor city to be a model tourism city (Eco-City) which plays important role in mitigating against climate change and toward green economic development in a sustainable and responsible manner.

Once again, I strongly i hope that the hotel management and staff of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa will continuously endeavor in improving and. sustaining the famous hotel brand name with the purpose of upgrading the tourism industry quality in order to bring Cambodia hotel to be widely known in international arena. Meanwhile, I would also like to wish the Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa to have more tourists, better services with either quality and care of green environment in one hand and on the other hand to engaged in the promotional campaign of “Cambodia Kingdom of Wonder" and competitive movement of “Clean City, Clean Resort, Good service" (…..).

Finally, I wish the owner and the management of Grand Soluxe Angkor Palace Resort & Spa a great success in business, and also wish H.E Senior Minister, Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, ladies and gentlemen and staff of hotel four benedictions of Buddha: longevity, unfading beauty, peace and strength.

Thank you!

Courtesy of Ministry of Tourism of Cambodia