Cambodia tourism official touts ties with Hong Kong as ‘shining example’, lauds trade

Participants at the Hong Kong-Asean Summit 2024 were updated on the strong growth potential for tourism between Hong Kong and Cambodia

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Prak Phannara, Cambodia’s Secretary of State for the Ministry of Tourism, at The Hong Kong-Asean Summit 2024, held at Conrad Hotel in Admiralty on Friday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Published: 3:14pm, 13 Sep 2024Updated: 11:56am, 15 Sep 2024

Trade between Cambodia and Hong Kong surged 51 per cent from the previous year, with ties between both sides marking a “shining example” of potential for collaboration, according to Prak Phannara, secretary of state for Cambodia’s tourism ministry.

Phnom Penh is also looking at increasing the number of direct flights between Hong Kong and Siem Reap, he added in a 10-minute speech in Hong Kong on Friday.

Phannara was addressing audience members at the Hong Kong-Asean Summit 2024, organised by the South China Morning Post in partnership with the Hong Kong-Asean Foundation and the Our Hong Kong Foundation.

“The relationship between Cambodia and Hong Kong is a shining example of the potential for collaboration. From January to July this year, trade revenue between our region exceeded US$346 million, marking a 51 per cent increase from the previous year,” Phannara said.

Tourists visit the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province in November 2023. Photo: AFP

His comments come over a month after Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu went on an official visit to Southeast Asia, where he met Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.