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Cambodia Begins Construction of National Tourism Schools in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville

PHNOM PENH: Cambodia commenced the construction of the first international standard tourism schools in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville on Thursday morning, 24 November.

The Minister of Land Management, Chea Sophara, stated that the National School of Tourism Vocational Training will be the first public school in Cambodia to act as a public institution of tourism administration training and a Center of Excellence in the tourism sector, set at both national and international standards.

Minister Chea Sophara said that the school will also be provide high-quality tourism and hospitality vocational training to meet the new tourism needs of the Covid-19 crisis.

The Minister of Land Management emphasized that, “Both are national schools, and these locations will act as tourism training centers in accordance with national and international standards, which are necessary to assess the professional skills required for the development of tourism in Cambodia, both now and in the future.”

The Minister further requested the Ministry of Tourism and the National School of Tourism Vocational Training to cooperate with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Public Function to properly manage the structure of the two schools. At the same time, the school must cooperate with the private sector to develop its curriculum and operational and training plan to ensure the school's success, sustainability and efficiency.

The Director of the French Agency for Development (AFD) in Cambodia, Jacques Perle, said that the construction of the two national tourism vocational schools will contribute to strengthening the quality and competitiveness of Cambodia's tourism sector.

The Minister of Tourism, Thong Khon, also confirmed that this project to establish the National Schools of Tourism Vocational Training required an initial investment of US $26.5 million from the Royal Government. The land where the school will be built in Phnom Penh has an area of 4,000 square meters, and has a value equivalent to about US $10 million, while the land in Sihanoukville is around 1,775 square meters and is equivalent to about US $4.5 million. The construction process, equipment provision, consulting and other expenses are funded by the French Agency for Development under a US $12 million loan.

The Minister of Tourism said that the construction of the National School of Tourism Vocational Training in Phnom Penh is planned to be a four-story building with a total construction area of 7,326 square meters, with an estimated construction cost of more than US $3.4 million. Meanwhile, the school in Sihanoukville will also be four-stories tall with a total construction area of 6,713 square meters on the site of the Provincial Department of Tourism, and is currently planned to cost more than US $3 million.

Minister Thong Khon added that after construction is complete, the school in Phnom Penh plans to enroll 300 students in tourism vocational courses and other courses in the 2024-2025 school, while the school in Sihanoukville plans to enroll 200 students.

The National School of Tourism Vocational Training will launch four major tourism vocational training programs in hotel services and accommodation services, food and beverage services, travel services and tourism services. The schools will provide Level 1 to 3 professional qualifications and will require one year of study and two years of advanced diploma study, in addition to short and continuous training courses and assessment in accordance with national and regional standards.



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