STORY: Chinese-funded airport expected to attract more int'l tourists to Cambodia's famed Angkor
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 16, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 18, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:47
LOCATION: Phnom Penh
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST: 
1. various of Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and Angkor Archeological Park
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Khmer): LY RATANA, Souvenir vendor
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Khmer): LEAT MANIN, Employee at souvenir shop
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): GONG SHUAI, Assistant to general manager of Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.

STORYLINE:

The Chinese-invested Siem Reap Angkor International Airport (SAI) was officially launched on Thursday.

With a 3,600-meter runway, the SAI is currently Cambodia's biggest airport and is the main gateway to the Angkor Archeological Park, one of the Southeast Asian country's most popular tourist attractions.

Locals hope that the new airport will bring more tourists to the UNESCO-listed Angkor park.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Khmer): LY RATANA, Souvenir vendor
"The opening of this new airport is the expectation of Siem Reap residents, who depend on the tourism sector. This new airport is much bigger than the old one, so probably, there will be more direct flights that will bring more tourists."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Khmer): LEAT MANIN, Employee at souvenir shop
"For Chinese tourists, I think that they have contributed to the development of the tourism sector in Siem Reap province because they have bought souvenirs and visited different temples."

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): GONG SHUAI, Assistant to general manager of Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd.
"As a large international airport, the SAI plans to open more long-distance international routes, aiming to attract more tourists from China and around the world, thus promoting the recovery of the Cambodian tourism industry and economic prosperity.
As the SAI is a landmark project of the Belt and Road Initiative, we are confident that the SAI will inject new impetus into Cambodia's economic recovery and cooperation on production capacity between China and Cambodia."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Phnom Penh.
(XHTV)