PHNOM PENH: Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed on a joint action plan to increase tourist flows between the two nations, as well as attract visitors from third countries. In 2025, more than 1.2 million Vietnamese tourists travelled to Cambodia.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak and Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lam Thi Phoung Thanh.
The meeting took place on Monday (June 8), in Hanoi, during Prime Minister Hun Manet’s official visit to Vietnam.
Hak congratulated Phoung Thanh on her recent appointment and emphasised Cambodia’s commitment to further strengthening tourism cooperation with Vietnam.
The two ministers exchanged views and in-depth perspectives on enhancing tourism cooperation in line with the spirit of previous bilateral meetings and high-level discussions between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. They also reviewed the implementation of a 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cambodia–Vietnam tourism cooperation.
According to the Cambodian tourism ministry, the MoU identified several key areas of cooperation.
It aimed to strengthen transport connectivity, particularly through maritime routes like the Phu Quoc and Kampot international ports, as well as through Mekong River cruises.
They also agreed to stage joint tourism events in their respective border provinces.
Both sides intended to enhance the development of private sector tour packages.
Expanded human resource development was also included in the MoU, with training exchanges aimed at leveraging the hospitality expertise of both countries.
Finally, joint FAM, or familiarisation, trips were planned, as a means of encouraging influencers to explore the diverse tourism potential of each country.
Working groups were established to monitor progress and coordinate implementation.
They will share their progress reports during the 1st Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Tourism Minister’s Meeting, scheduled to be held on sidelines of the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City this August.
The tourism ministry reported that Cambodia welcomed 5.57 million international tourists in 2025. The figures included 1.22 million Vietnamese, a decline of 8.8% compared with 2024. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
