Cambodia is working to diversify and broaden its international tourism market by seeking to capture the Muslim tourist segment — a market with significant potential that would supplement its current international tourism base, according to Minister of Tourism Huot Hak.
During the August 18 opening ceremony of the “Hospitality for Muslim Tourists and the Cambodia Muslim-Friendly Standard” training course, held at the tourism ministry headquarters, Hak explained that the training was organised to strengthen capacity, share knowledge and raise awareness among operators in Cambodia’s tourism industry — including the private sector and related stakeholders.
The course aims to strengthen capacity, share knowledge and raise awareness about the importance of preparing and developing tourism business bases to welcome Muslim tourists.
This initiative is designed to promote the growth of Muslim tourism, which adds significant value to the tourism sector, in line with the Muslim Tourism Development Plan (2023–2027).
Hak added that according to the Global Muslim Travel Index report, the number of Muslim tourists worldwide reached approximately 176 million in 2024, an increase of 25 per cent compared to 2023 and an increase of 10 per cent compared to the pre-Covid-19 period. Moreover, the figure is expected to rise to 186 million in 2025.
“These figures clearly demonstrate Cambodia’s growing opportunities to seize and diversify its tourism markets, thereby strengthening and expanding the potential of Cambodia’s tourism industry toward inclusiveness, sustainability, resilience and prosperity through capturing the Muslim tourism market as a complement to existing markets,” he said.
He highlighted several key recommendations for the Muslim Tourism Task Force, including expediting the preparation of the Cambodia Muslim-Friendly Handbook as a guide for Muslim tourism hospitality.
The minister also encouraged continued close cooperation with relevant institutions to organise more training courses, thereby equipping tourism businesses and stakeholders with deeper knowledge about Muslim tourism hospitality and the Cambodia Muslim-Friendly Standard.
“All tourism businesses should continuously improve the quality of their services to higher standards, while maintaining reasonable prices and ensuring adequate facilities to properly welcome Muslim tourists, offering added value to their services,” he explained.
In addition to enhancing Cambodia’s marketing to the international community, the government is also making efforts to develop road, port and — most notably — international airport infrastructure, to facilitate both tourist travel and goods transportation to and from the country.
Specifically, starting on September 9, all air cargo and passenger services currently operating at Phnom Penh International Airport will be transferred to the new Techo International Airport, which was recently completed with over $2 billion in investment (excluding land costs).
According to Charles Vann, director of Cambodia Airport Investment Co., Ltd. (CAIC) — the company behind the Techo International Airport — the new airport was ranked #9 among the world’s top 11 architectural projects of 2025, recognized for its luxury, design and green, eco-friendly environment.
The Techo International Airport, constructed on over 2,600 hectares of land in its first phase, is capable of accommodating Code 4F aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747. In its initial phase, the airport will have a capacity of up to 13 million passengers per year.
According to the tourism ministry, in the first half of 2025, Cambodia welcomed around 3.36 million international guests, a 6.2 per cent increase over the same period in 2024. Most international visitors came from the Asian region, especially Thailand, Vietnam, China and Laos.
