Cambodian Prime Minister emphasised the pivotal role of tourism in contribution to peace and socio-economic development, calling on collective efforts to restore the sector on both quality and quantity grounds.
Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet brought to light tourism’s role in his open letter to mark the World Tourism Day themed ‘Tourism and Peace’ to fall on Sept. 27.
Calling tourism ‘green gold’, he said that the growth in the sector creates jobs and improves livelihoods for everyone, bringing about gradual poverty reduction.
Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet also emphasised that tourism also contributes essentially to the protection and conservation of natural resources, cultures, traditions, religions, and customs, allowing harmonious society and peace through mutual understanding, love, and support.
Admit emerging global issues including wars, climate change, and economic slowdowns, this year’s World Tourism Day seeks to highlight the intersection between tourism and peacebuilding so as to help address the challenges, he added.
He also mentioned key government initiatives to rebuild and support Cambodia’s tourism after the pandemic, covering three stages, namely resilience tourism, tourism restoration, and tourism operations toward a new future.
Voicing his support for the interventions of UN Tourism as well as partner countries and other development partners in revitalising tourism, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet laid stress on both the quality and quantity of tourism to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth.
According to the Prime Minister, the arrivals of international tourists to Cambodia increased to 5.45 million, or 139.5 percent, compared to 2023.
For the first seven months of 2024, Cambodia welcomed 3.7 million arrivals of international tourists, and the country has set an ambitious target to bring in 7 million international tourists in 2026.
