A classic view of the Kingdom’s crown jewel Angkor Wat Temple, at sunset. ANA
The Asia-Pacific Urban Tourism Organisation (TPO) is currently assessing the tourist potential of several of Cambodia’s towns and cities. Once accepted as members of the organisation, they will be recognised and promoted on the international stage.
The Ministry of Tourism released a June 18 press release detailing the results of a June 15 working meeting between minister Thong Khon and TPO secretary-general Woo Kyoungha. The meeting took place in Phnom Penh.
“The tourism potential of several parts of the Kingdom, including Phnom Penh municipal as well as Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Battambang towns, is being assessed. If they are granted membership of the TPO, they will receive widespread international promotion from the South Korea-based organisation,” said the ministry.
During the meeting, Kyoungha praised Cambodia’s management and development of some towns, explaining that the TPO will not just promote them as tourist destinations.
“[We] also encourages the administrations of each member town to exchange their experiences in developing, managing, landscaping and expanding the tourism potential of their town, as well as to support one another when facing challenges,” he said.
Kyoungha added that his organisation may invite representatives of the Cambodian towns to attend its annual general assembly as observer status candidates. The meeting is scheduled for November in the South Korean coastal city of Gyeongju.
“If all conditions are properly assessed, several of Cambodia’s towns will become full members of the TPO,” he explained.
According to the TPO, many ASEAN cities are members, including some from Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste.
Khon welcomed the proposal and assigned the ministry’s General Department of Tourism Product Development and International Cooperation to work with the TPO Secretariat to continue other related work that could benefit the Kingdom’s tourism sector.
Ho Vandy, an adviser to the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said the advantages of membership include the promotion of the Kingdom’s towns to other TPO members.
Vandy said there are several towns in Cambodia that deserve to be selected as members.
“It would be ideal if they are selected, as we will see widespread promotion of some of our best tourist destinations,” he said.
Long Dimanche, deputy governor of coastal Preah Sihanouk province, suggested that if Sihanoukville was added, it would accrue many advantages from being linked to the many towns and cities which are already part of the TPO network.
In addition to promoting tourism in the province, he believed that technical assistance would be forthcoming to address various challenges which the tourism sector is facing.
“It would be ideal if all of the towns of the TPO work together to promote one another. There are many benefits to becoming members of the network,” he said.
The TPO was established in 2022 and is headquartered in Busan, South Korea.
