Tourism Minister Suggests 2025 as another Cambodia-India Tourism Year to boost tourist flows

The Cambodian Ministry of Tourism has requested the Embassy of the Republic of India in Phnom Penh to continue the Cambodia-India Tourism Year to 2025 to further boost the flow of tourists between the two countries.

H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism of Cambodia, made the request at the opening ceremony of "Cambodia-India Tourism Forum 2024" held in Siem Reap provincial city on Oct. 31 under the theme "Potentials of Indian Tourism Market for Cambodia's Tourism: Opportunities and Readiness."

Cambodia is well-prepared to receive the Indian tourists and investors, he said, underlining that the growth of Indian tourists is an important opportunity that not only promotes tourism development, but also creates investment opportunities in other sectors for the basis of Cambodia's economic growth and national development.

H.E. Minister spoke highly of the "Cambodia-India Tourism Forum 2024", saying that it provides an opportunity for tourism experts, private sectors, and related stakeholders from the two countries to build network, exchange ideas and experiences, and seek for joint strategies to contribute to the development of sustainable and responsible tourism.

Mr. Vijay Shankar Prasad, Second Secretary of the Embassy of India in Cambodia, recalled the efforts of India and Cambodia in promoting flight connections between both countries in order to boost the tourist flows, and congratulated IndiGo Airlines for its new routes – New Delhi-Phnom Penh and Kolkata-Siem Reap – to be launched in February 2025. 

He expressed his optimism that through the good cooperation between the two nations, the flow of tourists between both countries will see further increase.

Figures from the Ministry of Tourism showed that Cambodia welcomed 20,560 Indian tourists in the first three months of 2024, a year-on-year increase of 25 percent.

Tourism is one of the four pillars supporting Cambodia’s economy, in addition to garment, footwear, and travel goods exports; agriculture; and the construction and real estate sectors.