The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has launched e-Visa, which enables you to apply for a Cambodia tourist visa online. Instead of applying through Cambodian Embassy, all you need to do is to complete the online application form and pay with your credit card. After receiving your Visa through email, print it out and bring it along when you travel to Cambodia.

The Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) approved agricultural investment projects worth a combined $499.7 million in the first eight months of 2009, in comparison to $81.7 million worth of projects approved over the same period in 2008.

For investors looking to grow and process crops, Cambodia is an ideal location with plenty of land available for agricultural concessions.
The Cambodian agriculture & agro-industry sector has developed significantly in recent years and has great potential for investment, employment creation and as a source for economic growth.

World’s second favourite long-haul destination
Cambodia was voted the world’s second favourite long-haul destination for British tourists at the 2009 Guardian, Observer and guardian.co.uk Travel Awards in the UK. Cambodia finished second to New Zealand and ahead of Chile (3); Vietnam (4); and Japan (5).

Served by a new international airport and easily reached from the coastal hubs of Sihanoukville, Kep and Koh Kong, Cambodia’s unspoilt islands stand poised to be revealed to the world, as leases have been granted to local and international companies who plan to develop resorts. But for now, most of the islands remain unpopulated and untarnished by tourism; offering secluded white sand beaches and stunning tropical scenery.

Koh Rong is the largest of Cambodia’s 22 islands and is easily reached by boat from Sihanoukville. The island offers secluded beaches and exclusive diving. At present there is little or no development on the island, but that is about to change as a 99-year lease of Koh Rong has been awarded to the Millenium Group who are seeking investors to develop the island.

Koh Tang is located four hours by boat from the mainland and three hours south-west of Koh Rong. The island is uninhabited apart from a small military presence. The waters around Koh Tang offer world-class diving with a stunning diversity of fish, corals and rocky reefs. Nearby Koh Prins has two wrecks to dive. “The remoteness from the mainland makes Koh Tang an exclusive diving trip,” says local diving operator Scuba Nation - www.divecambodia.com. Koh Tang is well known as the site of the infamous Mayagüez incident of 1975 in which the Khmer Rouge captured a US ship.

Other unspoilt islands include Koh Russei (Bamboo Island) which can be reached by private boat from Sihanoukville, or from the beach near Ream National Park (about 20km east of Sihanoukville), and Koh Tonsay (Rabbit Island) off the coast of Kep - long-tail boats go to Koh Tonsay every morning from Kep.

Garment exports from Cambodia in 2008 were worth about US$2.8 billion, with 70 percent of shipments going to retailers in the United States. The European Union is the second-biggest market.

The Royal Government of Cambodia has been actively seeking to promote and facilitate the development of the country's petroleum resources with the objective of enhancing economic growth and providing opportunities for employment and participation in petroleum operations for Cambodian nationals and companies. The development and production of petroleum resources could be expected to generate significant revenue for Cambodia and allow the country to continue to develop its infrastructure to form the basis of future economic growth. Cambodia might be sitting on as much as two billion barrels of oil and up to 11 trillion cubic feet of gas, according to reports by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“Depending upon the world price of oil, Cambodian reserves may be contributing annual revenues of $2 billion, several times the current level of domestic revenue and ODA (overseas development aid) combined — within perhaps five to ten years,” says a World Bank report.

Cambodia pioneered the creation of protected areas in South East Asia in 1925 by setting aside the Angkor temple complex and surrounding areas for protection. In 1993, a Royal Decree established a national system comprising 23 protected areas classified under four major categories: National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Protected Landscapes, and Multiple Use Areas.

The Department of Nature Conservation and Protection under the Ministry of Environment has the responsibility for overseeing these 23 protected areas and 3 Ramsar sites, two of which are contained within the 23 protected areas. Combined, all of these areas cover 32,289 sq km.

Today, the greatest threat to Cardamom Mountains landscape come from the country's rapid post-conflict development trajectory; road construction, intensive agriculture and a hunger for land threaten to fragment the landscape irreparably. Mining companies have been granted access, forcing local communities from their tradition local community development into the future will be a difficult balancing act.

Inward migration of natural values must happen alongside the sustainable development of existing communalities. The area has been identified as one worthy of World not only greater recognition and protection of the area's natural values, but perhaps also go some way to safeguarding the rich cultural heritage of the traditional custodians of the forest.

A two million hectare landscape consists of rugged mountain ranges, peaks up to 1800 meters and extensive lowland forests. Rivers channel the heavy rains into the Great Lake, nourishing the fisheries and rice paddies that, in turn, feed the nation. The area remains a haven for globally threatened species, including tigers, crocodiles and elephants.

While Cambodia’s mineral resources remain largely unexplored, several important minerals have been discovered, which include bauxite, copper, zinc, gold, iron ore, nickel, granite, gemstones and tungsten. Minerals currently extracted include gemstones and gold - mostly mined by small-scale operators - marble, granite, sand, limestone and salt.

The Royal Government is committed to the protection and preservation of Cambodia’s environment and its natural resources, while meeting the needs of sustainable development. It is also committed to alleviating poverty, and ensuring that the benefits mineral resources eventually bring to the country are distributed throughout all levels of society.

First fully-integrated express road service to and from Phnom Penh, Cambodia...

In 2009 TNT announced the extension of its successful Asia Road Network (ARN) into Cambodia, adding more than 1,500km to an existing 6,000km road network running from Singapore to Thailand to China.

Cambodian Railways
Cambodia's rail network was built in 1929 and was last upgraded in the 1960s. Three decades of conflict destroyed or damaged much of the system. In December 2009 ADB approved another $42 million investment. With this additional financing, freight trains will begin operating between Kampot, near the border with Vietnam, and the capital Phnom Penh in 2011.

“This upgraded rail network will position Cambodia as a true sub-regional transport hub, creating new jobs and business opportunities in the manufacturing and logistic services sectors,” said Peter Broch, an ADB Senior Transport Economist.

Taxi-metres
A second taxi-metre company began operations in Phnom Penh in 2009. South Korean-owned Trans Choice Cambodia is investing $3 million to purchase a fleet of 20 vehicles and employ and train 60 drivers.

New road - Phnom Penh to Thailand
National Road 4 linking Phnom Penh to Thailand via Koh Kong has been surfaced and five bridges built. The route is used mostly by light traffic at present.

Cambodia is an attractive investment destination for telecommunications operators due to its political stability, liberal investment and economic policies (Cambodia is a free-market economy with relatively few limitations on foreign investment and no specific restrictions on foreign investment in the telecommunications sector in Cambodia), and the perceived business opportunities arising from low levels of market penetration.

The general view of the private sector is that, given the emergent state of the Cambodian telecommunications market, the promotion of increased investment in infrastructure will best serve the long term interests of end users.

In the last five years the Kingdom of Cambodia has enjoyed a rate of economic growth averaging 9.5 per cent per annum, while a Phnom Penh Stock Exchange is expected to be launched in the coming year. This is a remarkable recovery for a country and population whose fragmentation and displacement under Pol Pot’s regimen is an indelible memory for most adult Cambodians.

The people and government of Cambodia are determined to resurrect their country, and look back to the past glories of the Khmer empire for inspiration, as materially indicated by the national flag that figures the greatest symbol of that empire, the 12th century masterpiece of temple construction, Angkor Wat.

Indeed, this national symbol is well chosen since it is also the focus of a tourism industry that has grown exponentially in Cambodia, with 2 million arrivals in 2007 (a 20 per cent increase over 2006) generating approximately $1.4 billion in foreign tourism revenue, about 10 per cent of the kingdom’s GDP.

According to the President of CATA (Cambodian Association of Tourism Agents), Cambodia expects to welcome 3 million foreign visitors annually by 2010.

At the opening ceremony the prime minister said, “Golf plays an important role in strengthening international relationships. Regardless of political trends, race or religion, golf bridges friendships and reinforces solidarity between individuals, groups, and nations.

“Cambodia is fortunate to have inherited cultural and archaeological treasures,” he added, “especially Angkor Wat temple and our magnificent natural scenery. The tourism sector is moving forward and provides a substantial contribution to the growth of the service sector.

The abundance of cultural, archaeological and natural attractions is what makes our tourism sector even more interesting for investment. These inheritances have helped transform Cambodia into a vibrant and attractive tourism destination.”

The 4 Rivers Floating Eco-Lodge is located in Tatai, Koh Kong Province, one of the most beautiful places in Cambodia. According to the western owners, it is the first of its kind in the world, as it features luxury tents on completely floating platforms (not on solid poles).