PHNOM PENH: Experts in the tourism sector believe that five new memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between Chinese and Cambodian tourism bodies have the potential to drive Chinese vistor numbers up.
The signing ceremony took place in Kunming, the provincial capital of China’s Yunnan province, on Aug 26.
It was witnessed by Minister of Tourism Hout Hak, Ma Zhigang, head of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Liu Minglin, CEO of Yunnan Investment Group, an major investor in the Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport.
The tourism ministry name the signatories of the five agreements.
They were between the Siem Reap Provincial Department of Tourism and the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Cambodia Tourism Marketing and Promotion Board and Angkor International Airport Investment (Cambodia) Co., Ltd., and the Cambodia Tourism Vocational School and the Yunnan College of Tourism.
The Cambodia Tourism Association signed two MoUs, with the Yunnan Provincial Tourism Association and Yunnan Qicheng International Travel Services Co., Ltd.
Thourn Sinan, chairman of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) Cambodia Chapter, who is in China and attended the ceremony, told The Post on Aug 28 that the visit by the high-level Cambodian delegation was invaluable.
He emphasised that the investment company managing Siem Reap’s new international airport clearly understands the major sources of Chinese tourists coming to Cambodia. The company is also behind major tourism development projects in Yunnan Province.
“I believe the current promotional campaign and the MoU signings will bring many positive outcomes for Cambodia’s tourism sector — even if the increase in tourist arrivals may not be immediate. I am optimistic that from now on, there will be more and more Chinese tourists visiting Cambodia,” he said.
He noted that during the Yunnan visit, the Cambodian delegation also held meetings with senior leaders of major companies and media/marketing agencies in the tourism industry.
“All of this brings added hope to Cambodia’s tourism sector,” he added.
Besides the MoU signings, the Cambodian delegation also participated in the “Cambodia-Yunnan Tourism Promotion Conference”, a platform which aimed to link the private tourism sectors of both countries with the aim of fostering practical and fruitful cooperation.
The tourism minister described the platform as “significant, and a golden opportunity for private sectors from both sides to engage in direct discussions to form tangible partnerships and potentially launch joint travel packages, soon”.
The forum also helped provide accurate information about Cambodia, along with various incentives promoted by the Cambodian government to attract tourism investment, ensuring warm support for investors.
“The Cambodia-Yunnan Tourism Promotion Conference is truly important. It will contribute actively and show the strong commitment of both public and private sectors of Cambodia and Yunnan in promoting the two destinations as attractive, key tourism and investment hubs for both domestic and international travellers,” added Hak.
According to the Tourism ministry, in the first seven months of 2025, Cambodia received a total of 3.71 million international tourists — a slight drop of 0.8% compared to the same period in 2024. Of these, 687,509 were Chinese, marking a 48.2% increase. Chinese tourists accounted for 18.5% of all international visitors.
In 2024, Cambodia welcomed 6.7 million international tourists, a 23% increase from 2023. Among them, approximately 850,000 were Chinese —a 55% jump. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
