Cambodia targets Middle East market
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A new strategy by the Cambodian government is looking to make the country a target destination for more Middle Eastern travellers, The Phnom Penh Post has reported.
“We want to attract as many tourists from the Middle East as possible,” Cambodian Minister of Tourism Thong Khon told the newspaper.
The move comes amid efforts by Prime Minister Hun Sen to strengthen ties between Cambodia and the Gulf nations. The government recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Qatar, allowing an unlimited number of direct flights between the countries, and Thong said that a similar agreement with Kuwait is expected to be finalised soon.
Cambodia has more than 300,000 ethnic Muslims residents, and secretary of state for the Ministry of Culture and Religion, Zakaryya Adam, believes that this factor can give the country a boost in attracting Islamic tourism.
“Cambodia has a Muslim Centre and other sites of interest, and several restaurants serve halal food,” Zakaryya said, adding that Phnom Penh airport and several hotels in the capital and Siem Reap are also equipped with Muslim prayer rooms.
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