PHNOM PENH: ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi has said that the opening of the 40th ASEAN Tourism Forum 2022, which Cambodia is hosting after being suspended for the past two years due to the Covid 19 crisis, is a message to the world about the reopening of tourism in ASEAN.

Addressing the meeting with the Prime Minister Hun Sen before the opening of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the morning of 19 January 2022 in Sihanoukville, Mr. Lim Jock Hoi has reassure his support of Prime Minister Hun Sen's remarks during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Tourism Forum last night, 18 January which has stressed the importance of tourism to the socio-economic, especially the ASEAN reconnection.

He has underlined that the organization of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2022 by Cambodia is to show the world that ASEAN has reopened its tourism. He added that today's ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting will approve a number of documents, especially on post-Covid19 tourism rehabilitation.

Deputy Prime Minister Kao Kim Hourn has told reporters after this morning's meeting: "The ASEAN Tourism Ministers' Meeting in Sihanoukville is sending a very important message about re-entry into ASEAN, as well as for Sending a message outside ASEAN that ASEAN tourism has reopened."

Mr. Lim Jock Hoi has further stated that he will continue to work to ensure that ASEAN can open the tourism corridor in accordance with the recommendations by the Prime Minister stated last night.

Prime Minister Hun Sen has expressed his pleasure and hoped that Cambodia would work together with all relevant partners, both within ASEAN members and ASEAN partners to promote tourism recovery while fighting Covid-19.

Speaking at the Opening Ceremony of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2022 in Sihanoukville on the night of 18 January 2022, Prime Minister Hun Sen has mentioned the importance of re-connecting ASEAN to promote people-to-people, economic and tourism ties promoting the fight against Covid-19 and open tourist corridors. He stated that the priority of ASEAN in 2022 is to continue the fight against Covid-19 with the reopening of the socio-economic.