So far, the Siem Reap property has made one booking through the site, said manager Setkao Philip. And its very flexible. The Internet is an effective way to do so, he said. Visitors to Cambodia come from all countries and all market segments, and usually have one attribute in common, he said. Summers and Noah Shepherd, managing director for the Web design and marketing outfit ETC Asia Co Ltd, based in Phuket, Thailand, were speakers at Internet workshops held in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Large hotels have international ties and the resources to market themselves.
Workshop speakers explained the options available to hoteliers, from having an e-mail address and signing in with an online booking service to appearing at a tourism Web site or having one's own Web site, Boring said. Many participants had never considered this technology as a way to do business. Their attitude towards e-mail and the Internet were fairly typical, Summers said. In the whole region, the Internet still accounts for a small amount or the bookings under 3 percent. You Sobha, who coordinated the workshop for MPDF, said that reactions in Phnom Penh differed from those in Siem Reap.