AKP Phnom Penh, January 17, 2026 --

The Cambodia Tourism Association (CATA) is committed to working closely with the Ministry of Tourism through public-private partnership mechanisms to contribute to the continued growth of the tourism sector and to sustain its resilience and regional competitiveness.

The commitment was made in a meeting held here on Jan. 16 under the chairmanship of H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism. 

The meeting was attended by Mrs. Chhay Sivlin, CATA President, senior leaders of the Ministry of Tourism, members, and associate members of tourism associations, totaling 110 participants.

The objective was to jointly identify key measures to maintain the resilience of the tourism sector and to boost Cambodia’s tourism momentum so as to preserve its competitiveness in the region.

H.E. Minister expressed his sincere appreciation to CATA for its financial contributions, materials, and food supplies through the Tourism Family Fund to support displaced civilians and the brave frontline armed forces.

On the occasion, H.E. Huot Hak informed the participants that the Royal Government of Cambodia has approved a pilot visa exemption for Chinese citizens holding passports of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau—excluding Taiwan. 

Regardless of whether travellers enter directly from China or from another country, as long as they hold a PRC passport, they will be granted visa exemption during the pilot implementation period in 2026 (from June 15 to Oct. 15).

In the meeting, CATA presented a brief report on the progress of CATA’s activities, as well as the requests and challenges faced by its members aimed at seeking intervention from the ministry and the government. 

H.E. Minister advised the Association to further strengthen its capacity and influence at both regional and global levels by reinforcing its organisational structure and expanding its membership. 

He also instructed CATA to promptly prepare its 2026 annual action plan in the form of a Practical Cooperation Action Plan, aligned with the Green Season Action Plan for 2026.

Additionally, H.E Minister emphasised the importance of tourism promotion, urging the Association to pay close attention to and actively participate in promoting Cambodia’s tourism potential in key target markets, as well as to further strengthen the promotion of Cambodia’s image and positive information. 

Cambodia welcomed 5.17 million foreign tourists in the first 11 months of 2025, a decrease of 13 percent compared to the same period last year, according to an official report.

By Chea Vannak