INDONESIA: Cambodia has held discussions with the World Travel and Tourism Council and attracted technical assistance and cooperation to support the restoration of national tourism and promote Cambodian tourism internationally as well.

This commitment was made through a working meeting between the Minister of Tourism, Thong Khon, and the Chairman and Executive Director of the World Tourism and Tourism Council, Julia Simpson, on the occasion of the Cambodian Tourism Minister's participation in the G20 Tourism Ministers' Meeting and World Tourism Day 2022 on Tuesday, 27 September 2022 in Bali, Indonesia.

During the talks, the two sides discussed past cooperation in the field of tourism in line with the requests made by Cambodia. The President of the World Tourism and Tourism Council promised to provide technical assistance to help set up a Tourism Satellite Account to measure the economic benefits of tourism in Cambodia.

She also pledged support to the Cambodian Ministry of Tourism for the use of the Hotel Sustainability Basics.

In addition, the World Travel and Tourism Council said it will help promote Cambodian tourism to European and other major markets and provide cooperation on the development of digital tourism as well as digital literacy.

The President of the World Tourism and Tourism Council also shared her experience and the importance of developing community-based tourism and ecotourism, especially in the context of Covid-19, where tourism trends have increased significantly.

She noted the important role of tourism and travel in the Cambodian economy, which, according to a report from the Council for Tourism and World Travel, accounted for more than 25% of the country's GDP in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Minister Thong Khon also informed the World Council of the results of Cambodia's efforts in rejuvenating the tourism sector, emphasizing that the Royal Government, under the guidance of Prime Minister Hun Sen, implemented vaccinations as a key strategy to ensure a strengthened herd immunity in the Cambodian community, making Cambodia one of the world's leading countries in Covid-19 recovery. Additionally, this vaccination strategy allowed for the country to reopen, relaunched economic and social activities and allowed for the opening of vaccinated tourism by the end of the 2021.

He continued that in the process of restoring and developing Cambodia's tourism sector, the Ministry of Tourism has been actively cooperating with the private sector and other stakeholders to implement the Roadmap on the Restoration and Promotion of Cambodia's Tourism Sector During and After the Covid-19 Crisis 2020-2025.

Minister Thong Khon confirmed to the Council for Tourism and World Travel that in the first nine months of 2022, international tourists visiting Cambodia reached 1.25 million, showcasing an increase of 850% compared to the same period in 2021.