Phnom penh: Outgoing Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, H.E. Ueno Atsushi, pledged Thursday to promote Cambodia's tourism potential to the Japanese public based on his firsthand travels across all Cambodian provinces and proposed exploring visa exemption measures for Japanese tourists. The reaffirmation came during a bilateral meeting in Phnom Penh between H.E. Ueno Atsushi and H.E. Huot Hak, Minister of Tourism.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Ueno expressed appreciation to the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Ministry of Tourism for their cooperation during his tenure. He reiterated Japan's commitment to deepening bilateral ties through human resource development, joint promotions, and cultural exchanges. Noting his visits to every province and city in the Kingdom, the Ambassador committed to advocating for Cambodia's attractions to the Japanese people.
H.E. Huot Hak conveyed gratitude to Japan for their steadfast support of Cambodia's national development. He emphasized Cambodia as a safe and welcoming destination, ready for visitors from Japan and around the world. He requested Japan's continued support in promoting Cambodia's tourism, facilitating a Memorandum of Understanding on tourism cooperation, expanding air connectivity, and organizing familiarization trips for Japanese tour operators and investors.
Cambodia and Japan have maintained strong diplomatic relations since 1953, evolving into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Bilateral tourism cooperation grows under frameworks supported by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), focusing on sustainable tourism, capacity building, and regional marketing.