Kampot seminar finds way to boost services for Chinese travellers
THE Ministry of Tourism and several partner institutions are continuing to build the capacity of online-based tourist professionals through training to meet the needs of the market under the “new normal”, as Cambodia has reopened all areas of socioeconomic activity.
While addressing a December 26 seminar in Kampot province, ministry undersecretary of state Chea Se said the reopening had seen the return of domestic and international tourists rip to the most popular destinations in the Kingdom.
The seminar, with more than 200 participants, aimed to improve the quality of tourism services for Chinese tourists.
“With the recovery of the tourism sector, the ministry is paying close attention to improving the quality of services and safety of tourists under the ‘new normal’. It is also continuing to promote the Kingdom as an attractive holiday destination,” he said.
“The ministry recognises the importance of embracing the latest technology to facilitate the training and assessment of tourism professionals. In a bid to develop the human resources of the tourism sector, we have established an online management system for training those working in the industry,” he added.
Wang Zhiquan, head of the Chinese consulate in the province, said the seminar was organised with funding from the special fund of Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC). It was in line with the ministry’s efforts to develop tourism workers’ abilities to welcome guests to Cambodia, particularly Chinese tourists.
“Improving the quality of tourism services requires training that will ensure workers are sufficiently competent and highly professional. This applies especially applies to those who work online,” he added.
The ministry and the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh said the seminar was not only a great opportunity to train professionals, but an integral part of the Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic partnership, which promotes and enhances cultural, economic and trade exchanges and tourism between the two countries.
The ministry’s online vocational training system – www. tptd.org – has trained 69,595 tourism professionals since it was rolled out in June 2020.
According to the ministry, from January to August this year, 998,272 international tourists visited Cambodia, an increase of 720 per cent over the same period in 2021, but a decrease of 77 per cent compared to 2019.
In the first 11 months of 2022, Cambodia received more than 90,000 Chinese tourists – a growth rate of 113.8 per cent – which the ministry saw as an extremely positive sign for 2023.