PHNOM PENH: The Vaccinated Tourist Plan, for international visitors, an initiative of Prime Minister Hun Sen, has already been prepared during inter-ministerial discussions before a public announcement.

Ministry of Tourism spokesman Top Sopheak told EAC News that the vaccinated tourist plan and policy measures to promote domestic tourism movement in 2021-2023 has already been set up in an inter-ministerial discussion by the Ministry of Tourism.

He said: "We have already written a strategic plan. So please wait until for a formal decision so I can tell you the details."

Yesterday, the Minister of Tourism, Mr. Thong Khon, led the officials of the Ministry of Tourism to attend the meeting to review the draft strategic plan on the opening of safe tourism (vaccinated tourists) and policy measures to promote the internal/international tourism movement 2021-2023.

The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Economy and Finance and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Policy Committee, Mr. Aun Porn Moniroth, and was attended by a total of 51 representatives from relevant ministries and institutions.

At a Covid-19 vaccination ceremony at Phnom Penh International Airport this morning, Ministry of Health spokeswoman Youk Sambath said this afternoon that the inter-ministerial meeting would continue to discuss the strategic plan.

She said "We have done a lot with the Ministry of Tourism and the inter-ministerial committee, as well as the standing committee, in discussing the Ministry of Tourism's strategic policy document which is being submitted to the commission to see which countries we need to focus on and are at low risk. Which countries are at high risk and what do they need? I think we have enough documents that can be considered soon, maybe at the end of this year, the Ministry of Tourism will submit to the head of the Royal Government, and I will ask for a high decision from the head of the Royal Government, Prime Minister Hun Sen."

At the opening ceremony of the national vaccination campaign for children between the ages of 6 and 12, Prime Minister Hun Sen urged relevant ministries to develop a vaccinated tourist, for international visitors, strategy to allow them to come and visit Cambodia as before.

He emphasized that "starting from the reopening of schools, then the service sector, especially tourism, which must be done in two steps, the first step is to open domestic tourism and the second step is to open to vaccinated international tourists.”