Speech by His Excellency Mr. Sok An

Senior Minister, Minister in Charge of the Office of

the Council of Ministers at the Opening Ceremony of Master

of Art in Tourism Development in Phnom Penh University

9 October 2001

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen

Beloved Students and Participants,

Today Ihave a great honour to preside over the opening ceremony of the training course of Master Degree students of Art in tourism development organized by Phnom Penh University, in collaboration with Polonga University of Italy, and Sydney Technology University of Australia. On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, the National Tourism Authority, and on my own self, Iwould like to highly appreciate Phnom Penh University and all Professors for their initiatives to the establishment of the important post-graduate degree, contributing to the development of human resources in Cambodia. Taking this opportunity, Iwould also like to extend my gratitude to the representatives of Polonga University of Italy and Sydney Technology University of Australia for their valuable contribution to Phnom Penh University through human resource development cooperation. And as witness, we are opening the ceremony.

At present, tourism becomes an emergent sector and a driving force to boost economic development for countries in the world, particularly for developing nations. Tourism revenue can contribute to the rationalization of State budget that is necessary for reform and upgrading social infrastructure and improving livelihood of local community. As an industry, tourism sector is a labour- intensive service creating job opportunity to people and reducing unemployment rate. In addition, tourism is a vibrant force to expand economic foundation with connection to agriculture, industry, services and inter-related sectors, which contribute to the reduction of income gap between the urban and rural areas because most suitable potential areas for tourism development are located far from important business centers. Apart from resolving and easing economic crisis, tourism also helps strengthen political stability both inside and outside the country, in the region and the outside the region as well as promote international relations among countries in the world.

The economic powers are concentrated in the multilateral cooperation, but tourism industry offers the opportunity to develop the sequence of small and medium enterprises both in developing and developed countries. In Europe, of course, small and medium companies undertake tourist hospitality while more than 85% of these kinds are seen in developing countries. The small and medium enterprises are important for the provision of transportation services, tourism operations, restaurants, nightclubs, and crafts as well as the supply of furniture and consumer goods ... etc.

An estimation made by World Tourism Organization shows that the percentage of world tourists in East Asia and the Pacific will substantially augment. In the same manner, these two regions will rank number 2 in world tourism market between 2010, and in the year 2020 these regions including South-East Asia will receive a total of 26% of the world tourism. Based on this reliable data, we realize that apart from entertaining hundreds millions of people in the world, tourism still provides considerable economic income for potential countries in Asia through services provided in tourism industry. Nevertheless, though tourism earns much income, it, of course, can affect the society, economy, environment and culture, which is, in turn, required each country to determine a suitable goals, strategy, and mechanism to ensure sustainable development. Perceiving the golden opportunity for national development, almost of all high potential countries make their best efforts to improve tourism sector with the view to achieve the development aims and competition possibility in tourism market.

For Cambodia, which is a country with enriched historical heritage, cultural and natural patrimony for tourist attraction, tourism development is key priority to economic reconstruction, poverty alleviation; and to build the country into development and prosperity. Though Cambodia has a potential tourism, but most of those areas have not yet developed and managed properly due to the lack of investment budget on key infrastructure and the limitation of skilled human resource on management, foreign languages, marketing, promotion, guide, hotel, hospitality, cooking ... etc. Though we have to face many challenges, the Royal Government strongly supports the development plan and address key issues to better push forwards tourism service provision in order to become successful as our neighboring countries in the region. To achieve the above objectives, the Royal Government and Ministries concerned have defined major development goals such as Master Plan building, international cooperation fostering, particularly with ASEAN countries, marketing and dissemination of information, local infrastructure improvement with regard to road and airport, service structure strengthening; and above all, human resource development for a successful implementation of this policy. To lure tourists is not only heavily dependent on tourism attracting sites, but it must also go along with human resource development, infrastructure and interrelated service improvement.

Over the year 2000 Cambodia received a total of 466,365 tourists by air, increasing by 26.81% compared with the year 1999. Meanwhile, what we are proud of was that over the year 2000 nearly one million domestic tourists travelling to various tourism sites, which amounts for two time of international tourists; and in the first semester of this year, domestic tourists considerably increased, compared to the as the same period as the year 2000. In the subsequent years, we hope that the number will increase when there living standard is improved and tourism destinations are diversified.

International tourism is one of the legs of tourism industries which domestic and regional tourism is the other one. This industry required both two legs to accelerate the development. Therefore the Royal Government's tourism policy is armed at attracting both international and domestic tourists.

Responding to the above objectives the Royal Government always supports to relevant-tourism education to ensure that those training get fruitful result. Over time the Ministry of Tourism conducted a short and long-term training to meet the urgent needs in basic tourism services. The program of Bachelor degree is provided in some state-run and private institutions. In addition, Mater degree program in tourism at Phnom Penh University, in collaboration with Polonga and Sydney University, which provides key subjects with high-qualified professors is definitely valuable and advantageous in contributing to human resource development for the implementation of tourism development plan in the future in order to ensure development efficiency and reduction to a minimum of the negative impact of tourism on ecology, society, economy, culture and the entire community.

It is planned that next January 2003, as an ASEAN member, Cambodia will host ASEAN Tourism Forum. The Royal Government also agreed to organize "Visit Cambodia Year 2003", which is a great historical chapter to raise Cambodia in the world tourism and clearly inform the world of the enriched natural resource and great culture and patrimony, which are priceless heritage of Cambodia. Also, the University Association which provide the program in tourism and entertainment called ATLAS-ASIA and conducts its meeting in Hainan, China, on October 2000, decides on the organization of its third meeting in Cambodia in 2002. Phnom Penh University, which is a member of ATLAS-ASIA will organize the conference with the assistance from the Secretariat.

If we want to gain profit from tourism, our country, of course, must have potential human resources that are provided with appropriate and quality of education. To push forwards the development it is required to strengthen the cooperation and promote an effective competition opportunity. The Royal Government hope that Master degree student of tourism development, who are present here, will devote the knowledge you have learnt to the tourism development in the future.

One again Iwould like to express many thanks to Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen who spend valuable time participating in the ceremony. And my thanks also go to the representatives of the three universities that make their best efforts for the sake of the formation of this needy and advantageous program in Cambodia. This training also implies the cooperation between Cambodia and International donors in order to ensure the quality of education which meets international standard. I am firmly confident that a positive result from this training will greatly contribute to the tourism development in Cambodia in the future.

Best wishes

Thanks.