As Cambodia seeks to attract more tourists to secondary and tertiary destinations, securing foreign investment in products is key.
Prak Vuthy, director of the department of overseas tourism marketing and promotion at the Ministry of Tourism, said that while primary infrastructure, including roads and airports – with Phnom Penh’s new Techo International Airport set to open in July – is continually improving and making remote areas more accessible, secondary infrastructure is essential for attracting international visitors to these outlying regions.
“We want to develop more destinations in different areas. But in some of these districts, facilities such as restaurants, hotels and other accommodation are lacking,” he said.
“We don’t necessarily need to build high-end facilities, but we do need quality facilities to make it more attractive for tourists to visit these places. To achieve this, we have to attract investors.”
Vuthy noted that the government has offered incentives, including prime minister Hun Manet’s visits to countries like Japan and South Korea, to attract foreign investment, with a focus on developing more quality homestay and community-based tourism products.
With a target of drawing 7.5 million international visitors in 2025, Vuthy stated that Cambodia must transition into a year-round destination rather than a seasonal one. The Ministry of Tourism has already rebranded the “rainy season” as the “green season”.
Vuthy said efforts are underway to collaborate with airlines, relevant government players, and tour operators to develop enticing incentive packages for the traditionally off-peak season.
He added that this would include reduced rates as part of the strategy to “make Cambodia a year-round destination”.
