Cambodia is targeting one million tourists from China’s Henan province by 2025 while simultaneously fostering investment opportunities, said the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC) news release on Monday.
Leading a high-level delegation to Henan, Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia (CDC), urged Chinese authorities to expand flight routes for Cambodia’s national airline to boost people-to-people (P2P) and business-to-business (B2B) exchanges and promote key sectors for investment, including aviation, tourism, and infrastructure.
The Cambodian delegation accompanied by Soeung Rathchavy, Cambodia’s Ambassador to China, met the Henan Airport Investment Group and visited Air Cambodia office in Zhengzhou on Monday.
The visit aimed at studying the operations of these enterprises and promoting further investment in Cambodia. During the meeting, the delegation also presented the country’s investment climate, government support for the private sector, and its tourism potential.
Yi Riwu, Director General of Henan Airport Investment Company, welcoming the Cambodian delegation provided an overview of the company’s background and recent developments, emphasizing its diversified operations aligned with the Belt and Road Initiative and the Air Silk Road Initiative. Notably, the company has recently taken steps toward investing in Cambodia through a joint venture with Air Cambodia.
In response, Chanthol expressed his gratitude for the warm hospitality and commended the steady growth of Henan Airport Investment Company and its joint ventures, including Air Cambodia.
He noted their positive contributions to strengthening the Cambodia-China community of a shared future.
“Furthermore, the Deputy Prime Minister encouraged the Chinese counterparts to explore opportunities to expand flight routes for Cambodian national airlines, enhancing P2P and B2B connectivity. He emphasized the goal of attracting one million tourists from Henan province to Cambodia by 2025,” CDC stated.
Additionally, he invited the Director General of Henan Airport Investment Company and his colleagues to visit Cambodia to explore further investment opportunities in key sectors aligned with the company’s expertise.
Henan Airport Investment Company is a state-owned enterprise specializing in urban development, investment, technology, operations and related industries.
Speaking to Khmer Times, Lor Vichet, Vice President of the Cambodia Chinese Commerce Association (CCCA), said if the cooperation between Cambodia and Henan province achieves the goal of 1 million visitors to Cambodia, it will serve as a model for other Chinese provinces to collaborate with the Kingdom, promoting continued cooperation and the establishment of direct flights to Cambodia.
“Another key factor is that tourists from Henan province will have the opportunity to learn about Cambodia’s culture, civilization, and potential. When they return, they will help promote Cambodia and act as ambassadors in spreading awareness about our country.
“Therefore, we must ensure that we are well-prepared in terms of hospitality, accommodation, and internal security to warmly welcome both Chinese and international tourists,” Vichet said.
“If we succeed in reaching the goal of 1 million visitors from Henan Province, it will benefit the hotel, restaurant, and souvenir industries. I believe that in the future, there will be an increase in direct flights between Cambodia and China, fostering greater people-to-people exchanges and encouraging investment,” he added.
Later in the day, Chanthol, accompanied by Rathchavy, led a delegation on an investment promotion mission in Zhengzhou, Henan province. The delegation included representatives from the CDC, the Cambodian Tourism Marketing and Promotion Board, and the Cambodia Oknha Association.
Zhou Fuqiang, Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the Zhengzhou Municipal People’s Congress, welcomed the Cambodian delegation and introduced Henan’s economic potential. He also provided an update on the Zhengzhou Agricultural Development Group’s agro-industrial park, located in the Zhengzhou International Airport Special Economic Zone. He expressed optimism about the possibility of the group conducting feasibility studies and investing in Cambodia in the future.
In response, the Deputy Prime Minister thanked his hosts for their hospitality and highlighted several key factors that make Cambodia an attractive investment destination.
“These include political stability, macroeconomic stability, a young workforce, government support for the private sector through the Royal Government-Private Sector Forum, a flexible preferential investment law, ongoing infrastructure development to enhance connectivity, and Cambodia’s strategic geographical location as a future regional logistics hub,” Chanthol said.
