PM calls for stronger efforts to foster tourism
PM calls for stronger efforts to foster tourism
Prime Minister Hun Manet Friday asked the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) to increase efforts in promoting Cambodian tourism globally, highlighting that the total number of international tourists in 2024 surpassed pre-Covid-19 levels.
Mr Hun Manet made these remarks during a weekly cabinet plenary session at the Peace Palace. According to a press release on the results of the cabinet’s plenary meeting, the Premier highlighted that the total number of international tourists in 2024 surpassed pre-Covid-19 levels, reaching at least 6.7 million.
He directed the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) to intensify efforts in promoting Cambodian tourism globally, recognising the sector’s great potential for rapid recovery.
Chuk Chumno, Director-General of Tourism Development and International Cooperation of Ministry of Tourism, said in a press conference recently that the ministry has mapped out a roadmap, assessing that the number of international tourists may increase in 2025 or may have to wait until 2026 or 2027 to recover due to the global crisis, the Russia-Ukraine war, as well as increasingly complex geopolitical issues.
He said that in fact international visitor numbers in 2024 saw significant growth, with Cambodia welcoming over 6.7 million of international tourists, slightly surpassing the figures from 2019.
“There are many factors contributing to the rapid recovery of the tourism sector. However, we acknowledge that our priority markets have not fully recovered. Some tourism markets have only recently bounced back, while others are still lagging behind. Therefore, we must approach this situation with careful consideration,” said Chumno.
“For 2025, we aim to attract at least 7.5 million international tourists, and we will do our best to achieve this goal. To reach this target, the Minister has given it careful thought and has already announced his commitment to ensuring that Cambodia avoids a low season. We have to focus on only high season and a green season.”
Chumno said that the tourism minister has set a strategy for low season to open the market more widely by organising more important events at major tourist destinations and opening Muslim markets to attract them to Cambodia as well.
“With the trends that occurred in 2024 and the efforts of the Minister of Tourism, with the efforts of all the promotion efforts, we believe that our tourist growth will maintain a significant increase, and we remain optimistic for 2025,” he underlined, adding that, “What we can all do is come together to promote tourism, showcase Cambodia’s destinations, and highlight its strengths.
At the same time, we will work together to address and resolve any challenges.”
Speaking during a dissemination on ‘Tourism Promotion and Anti-Fake News’ held on January 15 at the Ministry of Information, Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism, said that the ministry has set a strategic plan in targeting to attract up to 7.2 million or 7.5 million foreign tourists in 2025.
Cambodia welcomed 6.7 million international tourists, an increase of 22.9 percent compared to 2023 and 1.4 percent compared to 2019, the period before the spread of Covid-19.
“The ministry will prioritise key tasks, including developing a detailed action plan, ensuring the plan is carried out effectively and responsibly, and continuously monitoring and assessing tourist arrivals, with the ambition to attract more foreign tourists to Cambodia,” said Hak.
