MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung and Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism Huot Hak (Photo: TITC)

MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung and Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism Huot Hak at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Minister Nguyen Van Hung highlighted the positive results in recent years. Air and road connections have made travel easier, boosting two-way tourist flows. In 2024, nearly 475,000 Cambodians visited Vietnam, a rise of 51%, while over 1.34 million Vietnamese traveled to Cambodia, up 32% and accounting for about 20% of Cambodia’s international arrivals. In the first seven months of 2025 alone, Vietnam welcomed more than 401,000 Cambodian visitor arrivals, a surge of 54% year-on-year.

Overview of the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Vietnam is now Cambodia’s second-largest source market, while Cambodia ranks among Vietnam’s top ten inbound markets. To further promote this growth, the two sides had established a joint tourism working group between their national tourism authorities, serving as a mechanism to plan, coordinate, and implement cooperation initiatives.

Minister Hung stressed that both countries share similarities in using cultural values and heritage to develop tourism, and that the potential for collaboration remains significant. He proposed enhancing cross-border tourism products such as caravan tours, southern coastal corridors, and heritage-linked itineraries connecting World Heritage sites in Vietnam and Cambodia. These joint products, he said, would not only serve domestic travelers but also attract long-haul tourists seeking unique multi-destination experiences.

Mr. Nguyen Trung Khanh, Chairman of Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT) at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Minister Huot Hak expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s invitation to ITE HCMC 2025 and acknowledged Vietnam’s past sacrifices in helping Cambodia achieve peace, which laid the foundation for Cambodia’s tourism growth from only 30,000 international visitor arrivals in 1998 to 6.7 million in 2024. He emphasized Cambodia’s keen interest in trade and tourism promotion activities at the Expo and its willingness to learn from Vietnam’s tourism development success.

He said, at ITE HCMC 2025, the Cambodian delegation met with leading Vietnamese travel companies such as Vietravel and Saigontourist Group, as well as the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee and the Vietnam Tourism Association. These meetings opened further opportunities for tourism cooperation between the two sides.

VNAT’s Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hoa Mai and Deputy Chief of the Ministry’s Office Nguyen Thanh Son at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation Tran Hai Van and Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa at the meeting (Photo: TITC)

Minister Huot Hak noted that promotion and communication about tourism potential between the two countries remain limited. He suggested Vietnam’s support in expanding joint marketing efforts, organizing famtrips, and signing a new tourism cooperation agreement as a framework for future development.

Both sides also underlined the convenience of existing policies and infrastructure: mutual visa exemptions for ordinary passport holders, well-connected air, land, and river transport, and active collaboration between tourism businesses in organizing self-drive tours, river cruises, and cross-border packages.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung emphasized that tourism has become a bright spot in Vietnam’s socio-economic growth. For five consecutive years, Vietnam has been honored as Asia’s Leading Destination. This success, he noted, comes from strong government leadership, effective state management, and the active participation of businesses and communities.

MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung gifting souvenir to Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism Huot Hak (Photo: TITC)

He suggested Cambodia could research Vietnam’s rural tourism model, which has been recognized globally through the World’s Best Tourism Villages awards by UN Tourism. He also introduced Vietnam’s experience in promoting cultural tourism through festivals and large-scale events.

Furthermore, Minister Hung encouraged Cambodian travel companies to bring more tourists to Vietnam to experience medical and wellness tourism, while Vietnam would continue to promote travel to Cambodia. He expressed confidence that after this meeting, the flow of tourists between the two countries would continue to increase.

He reaffirmed that Vietnam and Cambodia are close neighbors and friends. With this spirit of solidarity and friendship, the both sides would try to push tourism cooperation to new heights.

Leaders of both sides taking group photo (Photo: TITC)

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