Japanese tourist arrivals to Cambodia reached 146,000 during the first nine months of 2017, a 6.8% increase compared to the same period last year, according to figures from the Ministry of Tourism. Tourism Minister Thong Khon attributed the rise in number of Japanese tourist visiting Cambodia to the availability of the direct flights linking the international airports of Narita in Tokyo and Phnom Penh that started in September last year. The government forecasts a double-digit growth in the number of tourists from the East Asian economic giant in upcoming years, reaching 300,000 tourists by 2020, he said. The minister added that a Japanese consul will be established next year in Siem Reap province to lure even more investors and tourists from Japan. (Source: Khmer Times)